WHAT IS A CERTIFIED WOOD FLOOR?

IS YOUR WOOD FLOORING CERTIFIED?

Certifying wood products began in the early nineties as an effort to identify and promote materials produced by ecologically reputable companies. Acme Lumber might sell plywood ten miles away that looks just like what they have on shelves at the Home Depot, but the product at Home Depot costs a little more and has a stamp on it that says, FSC Certified.

Well, who is the FSC? What exactly do they certify? And are they connected in any way to the SFI or the CSA? Are they BFFs?

FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, and according to an article by the National Wood Flooring Association, the FSC is the most recognized of the three major certification program sponsors. The others are the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), and the Canadian Standards Association.

All three support programs to maintain forestry stewardship standards within the industry, but FSC was developed first and has garnered the support of most of the major environmental organizations, including The World Wildlife Fund and Sierra Club. And while the FSC is the governing body for the certification standards, it is necessary that they contract with third-party auditors and site examiners like Smartwood and Scientific Certification Systems.

The SFI organization got its origins in 1994 from the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), a group that seeks to maintain standards in the paper industry. The Initiative is mandatory for members of the AF&PA, and is regulated by the Sustainable Forestry Board (SFB).

In Canada, the Canadian Standards Association provides certification and standards testing on wood products all over the world, and is responsible for the National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management of Canada.

As you can tell, each organization is committed to the same end: creating and maintaining sustainable forest land. Sustainable Forestry refers to sustained yields combined with efforts to maintain biodiversity within forest ecosystems.

Critics of the standards systems say that they represent significant disparities in the way they evaluate such important issues as clear-cutting, pesticides, and use of old growth trees. But others say that the systems are basically the same, and that any differences are purely political.

Either way you look at it, consumers have a clear-cut choice to make: pay more for the certified product, or pay less for less certainty about the way the wood product was made.

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Wholesale Wood Floor Warehouse In Long Beach CA

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2. Focus on Flooring!

Good, well maintained flooring can set a positive tone for the entire intirior of your home.

“Like paint, flooring can help creat an impression of spaciousness and airiness,” Nickell says. Weather it’s floating laminate flor, tile, or a natural “green” alternative, lighter tone flooring can make formerly drab areas appear modern and streamlined,”

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT!!!!!

This weekend at Wholesale Woodfloor Warehouse there will be an Independence Day SALE.  These guys have an airplane hangar full of inventory that is priced to move.  I mean you just can’t find deals like this. They have engineered flooring starting at .99c. They have laminate flooring starting at .79c, and solid bamboo flooring at $1.89!!! This place has unheard of deals, and ultra low prices. Plus they have most of their inventory IN STOCK, and if it isn’t stocked it usually comes in the next day. So, if you’re in or around the Long Beach, or Sacramento areas do yourself a favor, and go find at deal at Wholesale Woodfloor Warehouse.

Are you going to put flooring down in your new home? Are you in the middle of a remodel? Did you take advantage of government tax breaks and purchase a house to flip? Let us help you to add value to that home. A solid food floor raises the resale value of your home more so than any other type of floor covering.  Not only that, wood floors can last forever! Exotic wood floors can be up to 185% harder than an Oak floor, did you know that? Are you looking for something environmentally friendly? Well, a bamboo floor can be harvested in 4 to 8 years! That means no forest need to cut down, yes that’s renewable flooring, and it’s very inexpensive. Not to mention the fact that it makes for beautiful flooring.  Do you have a concrete slab, and need to utilize a glue down application? Well you can get engineered flooring made with real wood veneer top. This product is amazing; it uses less wood for the flooring, while still providing the natural beauty, and desirability of a true hardwood floor. Is laminate flooring a good choice? Well, more and more people are turning to laminate flooring as lumber prices continue to grow, and focus on the environment becomes more and more relevant. Laminate floors don’t require special logging, and don’t use real wood. Laminate floors can’t be resurfaced, but a good flooring installer can come in and replace the damaged isolated boards. Furthermore, laminate floors can be up to 3 dollars a square foot cheaper than a true solid hardwood floor, or even certain engineered wood floors. This means you can get more bang for your buck. Why else? To be totally honest, laminate floors are great do it yourself projects. Snap together seams and pre attached padding, makes this a super easy application. And finally, the look of laminate floors has improved dramatically over the last 20 years, you can now have a computer generated image of wood, beautifully designed on each board, tricking even the trained eye into believing its looking at a real hardwood floor. Laminate floors = today’s economic 

WooD Floors

Wood floors are a valuable addition to any home or office. They have proven to be healthier than carpet, and have a much longer expected life than any other floor covering option. Additionally laminate floors have also come onto the market strong as a positive alternative to true hard wood floors.  Today many laminated floors are so good that they are almost indecipherable from a real ¾ solid plank. Not to mention the fact that a good laminated floor is far more inexpensive that real wood.

Despite pricing, and improvements in laminate technology, hard wood floors still remain the most desirable floor covering. The natural beauty and color, as well as the god given individuality of every piece, assures that it will remain the best option for flooring in any setting. 

Laminate Floors

BUYING A LAMINATE FLOOR:

Laminate flooring offers the look of hardwood or stone flooring, but without the expense and required maintenance.

Laminate flooring usually is made from high-density fiber or wood particles, with a laminate overlay that is designed to look like wood or stone. A clear, hard layer is placed on top, giving the laminate floor its durability. Laminate flooring has become a popular way to update the look of a home.

Pros of Laminate Floors

Price and Installation
Laminate flooring is cheaper and easier to install than hardwood flooring. Prices range from about $1.50 per sq. ft. to $3 per sq. ft, but you can find better deals from wholesalers and from online distributors. Laminate flooring can be placed on top of almost any existing floor, excluding carpet, and several manufacturers offer a glue-free, tongue-and-groove system. The interlocking planks make it an easy installation for weekend warriors and it can be uninstalled without damaging the laminate or the original flooring underneath.

Durability
Laminate flooring works well in high-traffic areas and homes with pets. It is scratch-resistant, durable and easy to clean. Just use a dust mop or a mop dampened with water. Most manufacturers offer at least a 10-year warranty on their product.

Resale Value
Laminate flooring can add to the resale value of your home. Most home buyers are looking for hardwood floors instead of carpet. Laminate gives you the wood look for less and can make your home look more open and modern. It also is environmentally friendly because it uses less wood – if any – in its construction.

Cons of Laminate Floors


Noise
Laminate flooring does not absorb sound well and can have a hollow sound when you walk on it, particularly in high heels. Using an acoustic underlay will help reduce the noise, but it still may be a nuisance. Laminate also lacks the visual warmth of other materials, including hardwood.

Buyers Know It’s Not Hardwood
Although laminate floors will increase a home’s value compared to wall-to-wall carpeting, hardwood floors will increase it even more. Buyers generally can tell the difference between laminate and hardwood or stone, and they prefer natural materials.

Design Options
Another drawback is that the look of the flooring is set by the manufacturer. Color and sheen cannot be customized so choices are limited, and a buyer may not like your selection. Hardwood floors can be sanded and re-stained.

Warping
The materials in laminate flooring are moisture resistant, but the floors can warp in high-moisture areas. There is a debate over whether it should be installed in kitchens and bathrooms or other rooms that are exposed to heavy water or steam. Most manufactures warn that laminate flooring will be damaged by standing pools of water. This is true of other materials as well, but hardwood floors may be able to be sanded and refinished. Laminate floors would have to be replaced. The material is still relatively new, so it isn’t clear how this type of flooring will hold up over time.

Before You Buy
Homeowners thinking about buying laminate floors should visit a few stores before making a decision. Talk with a store associate and research the different manufacturers. Some companies use different materials or construction methods

Laminates

Unlike hardwood, laminate floors will not stain, fade, dent and are far more scratch and water resistant. Entry level laminate wood flooring is designed for light traffic areas and come with warranties ranging from 10 to 15 years. Most people set their expectations too high and expect that entry level floors will perform under heavy traffic conditions and still look good for the duration of the warranty. This is however not the case, as an entry level floor subject to high traffic will start to show wear and tear within three to five years.

Laminate floors come with cores ranging from 6mm up to 12mm. A thicker core is more stable, less vulnerable to buckling and will sound more like real hardwood when walked on. Good quality cores are treated with water repellent chemicals, and resist swelling due to excessive moisture. This is very important especially when considering placing laminate wood flooring in bathrooms and kitchen. For these applications also consider a floor that has Paraffin wax impregnated joints. The Paraffin wax acts as a water repellent and will prevent topical water spills from penetrating down to the core. Also remember to scrutinize the warranty, as certain products are not covered for use in bathrooms and kitchens.

Buying the floors that suits your needs will save you money in the long run. This is not to say that every home requires a high end floor with an extensive warranty. Consider the amount of traffic as well as the amount of time you intend staying in your current home. There is no point in purchasing an expensive floor with an extended warranty if you plan on moving in the near future. Remember, the floor is usually the first thing replaced by people when moving to a new home.

Laminate wood flooring offers the best combination of quality and value in a wide range of colors, styles and designs and are also engineered for exceptional strength and durability and will last for years and years. For a rich and long-lasting experience, at a home friendly price, choose laminate; it's a natural look for your home and for the way you want to live.

Laminate wood floors history

Since their introduction into the US in 1982, the sector has experienced growth of up to 20% per annum at the expense of other floor types, making laminate the fastest growing floor type in the country. The appeal lies not only in its aesthetic value of its representation of real hardwood, but also due to its incredible durability and ease of maintenance.

The traditional look of hardwood is timeless; its beauty has brought a sense of comfort and elegance to homes around the world for many generations. Hardwood floors are however pricey, not very durable and require a fair amount of routine maintenance and care. Even the most recent technological advancements in surface treatment have not been able to solve such problems as scratching, fading, denting and staining. This has lead to the invention of laminate wood floors. With its machine made construction and hardwood photographic laminated surface, this floor is the perfect solution for the look and appeal of real hardwood that is more durable and requires less maintenance.