In 2001, the whispers about “going green” began circulating, and in the past two years that whisper has taken over the conversation. Now everyone openly talks about going green, and when a business creates a new method of conserving, recycling, or using more natural materials, it has now become newsworthy. The housing industry has been one of the biggest to roll out green options for your home with everything from the ceiling insulation to flooring.

There are a myriad of green flooring providers in the marketplace today. It can be an overwhelming task to go through all the reports, recommendations, and referrals in order to choose a quality provider. Carolina Wood Floors of Winston-Salem, North Carolina has carved out a name for themselves over the past twenty years as the expert on hardwood floors, and after taking the time to do the research and legwork, owner Mike Causby, recommends EcoFlooring; a product line he proudly carries and installs. EcoFlooring is a line of products by Wood Flooring International, a brand that is well known and trusted in North America for quality and innovation, from the mill all the way to the packaging. EcoFlooring has a wide selection of hardwood flooring with eighty-two different options, spanning from the popular bamboo to chestnut and cherry. EcoFlooring also offers the same beauty, durability, and cleanliness of traditional hardwood flooring.

"Since there is no industry standard at this point for ‘green’ wood products, it’s important to know why a company labels their wood products as ‘green’,” said Mike Causby of Carolina Wood Floors. Causby then followed up by explaining that he partnered with EcoFlooring because each of their products falls into one of five categories that classify the products as green:

Recycled Wood is the by product of other manufacturing processes like sawdust, peeler cores and veneer backer boards. The visible layer of this type of flooring is often made of veneer backer boards, which are leftover at the end of the veneer manufacturing process. These boards are typically burned for boiler fuel even though they are actually a prime cut of top quality logs and they often yield some of the most exquisite straight graining.

Salvaged Logs are any logs that are not harvested from a natural forest or a plantation. For example, they may be sourced from o

rchards which are being replanted, standing or fallen trees killed by disease or fire, forest thinnings, urban area trees, or even sunken logs raised from river and lake bottoms.

Reclaimed Wood is any type of manufactured wood product that is reused or remanufactured into new products. Using reclaimed wood in home décor would mean installing wood flooring that had been carefully extracted from other buildings.

Sustainable Forestry Practices include any wood that is harvested from a natural forest or plantation. Forest certification is a voluntary process that verifies to the consumer the wood product they are purchasing was grown and harvested in a way that protects forests for the long term. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is perhaps the most credible sanctioning body that certifies forests. Some of FSC’s certification requirements include respecting indigenous rights, protecting biological diversity, having a written management plan, and meeting all applicable laws. One hundred percent of the wood EcoFlooring uses under their sustainable forestry category comes from FSC certified forests.

Another Environmental Attribute EcoFlooring also considers is if a product is rapidly renewable, defined by a re-growth rate of less than ten years. Non-wood products such as bamboo, palm and cork also fall into this category. Finally, EcoFlooring insists that their products are seven times lower than OSHA’s guidelines on formaldehyde content and that none of their products use Urea-Formaldehyde. After reviewing the stringent regulations these products meet, it is clear that they are environmentally friendly; however, one should note that these products are truly beautiful with unique aesthetic qualities. The Carolina Wood Floors showroom is a wonderful place to get green…and get inspired.