Q: Doesn't wood flooring contribute to deforestation?
A: Wood is a natural resource, renewable and recyclable. Buildings, barns, ships and other structures made of wood often find a second life in wood flooring, cabinets, walls, and ceilings. More and more wood flooring produced today comes from managed forests. Additionally, engineered flooring, which uses only 20-30% as much fine grade wood as a solid floor, now has about 40% of the market. Engineered flooring implies a more ecologically smart use of raw material; by using more than one type of wood, a lesser burden is placed on hardwood trees like oak and maple.

A new wood floor should outlast carpeting by a factor of 3-6 times, i.e. the wood flooring costs less than the cumulative cost of all the carpeting one would have installed, not to mention the pollution from manufacturing carpet.

Q: Are there any health concerns related to wood flooring?
A: Leading allergists agree that wood floors are the perfect choice for a healthy home. Wood floors are easy to clean and will not harbor dust mites or mold. We spend 90% of our time indoors with our floors. Clean floors are a must because researchers believe a microscopic insect-the dust mite-could be responsible for asthma's rising tide. Wood floors in your bedroom and other main living areas can improve air quality according to the American Lung Association. A large American company that recycles old carpeting has stated that most used carpeting it receives for processing contains at least 35% of its weight in household dirt.