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How Is Hardwood Flooring Made?
Solid hardwood floors are made from planks or boards of wood sourced from a single piece of wood. These planks are puzzled together with tongue and groove edges. Most commercially available hardwood floors are pre-finished with sealants and varnish. However, homeowners can also opt for unfinished flooring that can be finished after installation. Custom-made hardwood flooring allows homeowners to prioritize hardwood species that offer natural beauty with tight grain and few knots for a higher price tag. For example, cherry wood and red oak hardwood flooring provide a unique pink hue and a beautiful, natural grain.
Engineered hardwood flooring is manufactured by essentially gluing together several wood plies as the core board. On top of this core board, a thin veneer of natural hardwood is glued on top.
Is Hardwood Flooring Environmentally Friendly?
Unlike carpeting, vinyl, and other synthetic flooring alternatives, solid hardwood flooring is made from natural materials that can be locally sourced. Trees are not only a renewable resource (when properly managed), but they also are carbon neutral. Solid hardwood flooring can last for hundreds of years if properly cared for, thus capturing and storing carbon. Unfortunately, not all solid hardwood flooring is ethically sourced. Tropical hardwoods such as mahogany and others might emanate from illegal logging operations in ecologically vulnerable areas. When sourcing solid hardwood flooring, make sure to find a manufacturer that has some wood certification or sustainable forestry certification.
Is Hardwood Flooring Healthy?
Solid hardwood flooring will not have any glues or resins to worry you or affect your indoor air quality. However, many types of synthetic paints and varnishes can release harmful VOCs into your home. Check out this Rise guide to healthy wood finishes to explore healthier and more beneficial ways to finish your hardwood flooring.
Some people claim that engineered hardwood flooring is better for the environment because the core board (essentially plywood, sawdust, or MDF) uses less lumber. While this is generally true, engineered flooring will tend not to be as durable as real hardwood. In contrast to hardwood, composite wood flooring products might be a source of VOC emissions for your home. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), engineered hardwood products often fuse wood layers with glues and resins made with formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen and serious home air pollutant.
How to Cut Hardwood Flooring?
If you ever need to replace a solid hardwood floor plank, a basic circular saw should do the trick. Suppose you need to cut out a corner during installation. In that case, a reciprocating saw is a useful tool to have on hand as well. If you need to rip an entire plank, a table or miter saw is generally your best option. Because engineered wood flooring is significantly softer and thinner, a simple jigsaw will often give you enough power to make any needed cuts on this flooring type.
How to Remove Hardwood Flooring?
As we explained above, solid hardwood flooring should easily last a lifetime. In contrast, engineered flooring can last for 30 years or more. If you need to remove or replace hardwood flooring, products glued down will be much harder to remove. For this reason, many manufacturers do not recommend using glues for installation. If your floor isn't glued, use a circular saw to make a small cut where you can subsequently insert your hammer to pull out the boards. Make sure to set the blade's depth accordingly, so you do not cut into your subflooring. Once you have made that cut, a simple hammer should be enough to allow you to rip out the boards.
What Are the Downsides of Hardwood Flooring?
On the downside, solid hardwood flooring can be much more expensive than other types of flooring alternatives. Even the most durable hardwood flooring will also need to be regularly resealed to protect against moisture damage. Some types of engineered hardwood flooring might have formaldehyde resins that could leach into your home. Hardwood flooring is prone to scratches and scuffs that might require a bit of work to restore.
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
