Is Engineered Wood Good for the Environment?

When you’re trying to decide which type of flooring to install in the home, sustainability is an important factor to consider. How environmentally friendly is the floor and has the manufacturer focused on sustainability in its design?

This should be a particular concern when you’re trying to choose between wooden flooring. While solid wood floors obviously provide the most beautiful design, in terms of sustainability, you’ll find engineered wood floors are a little better for the environment. Here, you’ll discover just how environmentally friendly engineered wood floors are.

Why is Engineered Wood Better than Solid Wood?

There are a number of reasons why engineered wood is considered better for the environment than solid wood. The main one is that manufacturers use less wood to create engineered floors than they do with solid wood.

With engineered wooden floors, only the surface is constructed from solid wood. This means the majority of its design is usually plywood. The result is a lot less waste during the manufacturing process.

With solid wood floors, the entire planks are created from a single piece of solid wood. This means, even the parts of the floor you can’t see, use real wood. In comparison, engineered floors are said to use up to a third less wood than solid wood floors. The less trees that are cut down to create wooden flooring, the better it is for the environment.

There’s also the fact that engineered wood floors are more stable, and often more durable than solid wood. So, they’ll also need to be replaced less frequently.

Watch Out for FSC Certification

Of course, not all engineered wood floors are as great for the environment as others. So, it helps to pay attention to the manufacturer’s credentials. Have they been awarded FSC certification?

FSC certification shows that each stage of the process involved with creating the floor, has shown to take responsibility for the environment. So, it could be the manufacturer only uses wood taken from sustainable forests. They may also recycle any waste they produce and focus on environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Choosing a floor which comes from a manufacturer with FSC certification will therefore guarantee its benefits to the environment.

Engineered Wood Circulates the Heat

As well as reducing waste, engineered wood floors can also help the environment by better circulating heat. Due to their dense core, engineered wooden floors are excellent at conducting heat. This means, you won’t need to use as much energy to keep the home warm.

Reducing your monthly energy bills is a great additional benefit of installing engineered wood flooring. So, if you’re looking to do your part for the environment, while giving the home a luxurious look, engineered flooring is a great choice. Just be sure to pay attention to the manufacturer to see that they focus on sustainability in their designs.