Red oak doesn't repel water like white oak does, and traces of iron in water will stain the wood dark. These options give homeowners the opportunity to create a dramatic aesthetic in the home with a unique type of wood. Look for the U.S. Forest Stewardship Council certification or the Greenguard label. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "Tropical Lumber." Hello, I am trying to buy some wood flooring (ideally engineered) that is made from wood grown in the UK. Not all pieces of white oak flooring are alike when it comes to the environmental impact that went into making it. "Hard times hit U.S. hardwood lumber industry." The spalted effect is different in origin than the others. Perhaps your local DIY store can help or a recommendation on Social Media is a good way to find out. http://www.fscus.org/news/index.php?article=23, Forest Stewardship Council. I believe a sustainable product however transportation will add to the environmental impact. USDA Forest Service. Associated Press. (Accessed 10/01/2009). You can read more about their sustainabilityhere. Facebook, While youre at it, dont forget about our range of This wood presents with a variety of figures: bird's-eye, curly, fiddleback, quilted, spalted and swirl. "Red Maple." Sustainability in this context means the forest should still be there for your grandchildren and great grand-kids, and be able to soak up carbon emissions and keep our air clean for generations to come, as well asa being haven for wildlife. Do you supply this or can you advise where I might buy it? Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, Publisher, 2003. finish you use and how you care for your floors. According to NHL.com correspondent Paul Kukla, players soaked the blade of their wooden sticks in water, then closed the blade between a door and the door frame and put pressure on the handle until the blade bent to the desired curve. Last winter one got badly damaged in a storm and so for the safety of the public we cut down the tree as we could not prune it into a safe condition. Although hard, this wood takes well to machining and hand tools, and can be stained and sanded to a good surface. Thanks, Tom. Do you have any advise? Kenney, Matt. We only supply wood finishes and the tools for preparation and application. If your selection is highly figured, use fine blades and small cuts to avoid tearing and chipping. 1991. Wood sourced fromAsia, Africa,South America and even the USA and Canada comes with fewer guarantees. Need professional help with your project? The leaf of the sugar maple adorns the Canadian flag. Jarrah is coarse-grained, and gum-pocket defects are common. Pinterest or Bore into black cherry on the next page. Wood flooring looks fantastic, but itsalways a good idea to make sure the flooring youre buying comesfrom sustainable sources. It had a lovely straight trunk and now it lies adjacent to the public road. Oak and hickory can grow for several hundred years, and while we don't wait that long anymore to harvest them, they still take substantially longer to reach harvest maturity than the other trees you mention. Since theyre so fast-growing, poplar trees can quickly replenish forests. This option has a similar color and grain pattern to mahogany wood. But they have a long way to go. Does your taste in wood run to something with more personality? Is there any way you can tell if the wood came from a sustainable source. MSNBC. If your fingernail leaves an impression, it's soft maple. http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/data/atlas/little/. This stuff is tough to work with and blunts cutting tools more than other woods, but it glues well. Earth Surface Processes. It's still highly valued today for the lustrous glow that it brings to furniture, cabinets, flooring, paneling, doors and trim. Working with Wood. Once upon a time you simplywent out and bought wood, wherever it came from and however it was harvested. (Accessed 09/30/2009). Dear Sirs, It glues well and holds screws tightly. White oak is an economical option for homeowners looking for a strong, rot-resistant material. Poplar trees grow an astonishing 5 to 8 feet in just a single year, while walnut trees only grow 3 to 4 feet per year. http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/index.htm, Marquis, David A. Just8% of the worlds forest isproperly protected from destruction. 67-71. Everything You Should Know About Sustainable Wood, Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification, You can read more about their sustainabilityhere. Wagner, John D. Green Remodeling: Your Start Toward an Eco-Friendly Home. Its great to hear you are looking to be responsible with your chooses in flooring. Eco home remodeling doesnt mean you have to give up on your dream kitchen or living room. In developing areas of Central and South America, where high-quality mahogany grows, hydro reservoirs created for power generation have flooded and submersed forests. page. NHL.com, August 25, 2009. http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/pubs/trees.htm, EarthSource Forest Products. (Accessed 09/22/2009). Timber is usually classified as eitherhardwood, from broad leafed trees, such as Beech and Oak, or softwood from conifers like Pine and Fir. July 24, 2009. If you want to show off the beauty of wood in your project, maple's a great choice. White ash grows throughout the eastern and central United States with a limited range in southeastern Canada. Alternatively, see our Varieties of white oak also grow in Oregon and California. Sugar maples form the hard type, which is also valued for extremely white sap wood. The timber industry is insatiable, as is our demand for wood. Have You Bought Timber Products from Illegal Sources? Alder has a natural warmth to it that reduces the need for finishes that set off volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, making it even more well-suited for an eco-friendly home remodel. Another substitute for mahogany wood is andiroba, which is a hardy choice for anything from your floors, deck, veneer, and window frames. More northerly in its range, the Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is an important tree in Canada. If you are concerned that a supplier is mis using the logo you are able to check and report on these websites also. Maple's pale color, lively graining and fine texture combine with strength to make it an excellent choice for furniture, cabinets, paneling, doors, molding and flooring, including stair treads. Engineered wood is more environmentally-friendly than solid hardwood because engineered wood is a combination of layers of thinly sliced pieces of hardwood with a sturdy plywood base. If you would like to share your decking project pictures with us, you can either send us some photos or share on our It's somewhat brittle, though, and may split, chip or crack if you drop it or ask it to carry too much weight. Newtown, CT: The Taunton Press, 2005. There are two ways of answering this question. As a result, buying wood has become quite a complex matter. I have recently been to a reputable hardwood floor dealer in our area. Some people have an adverse reaction to oak dust particles, so wear a mask whenever your activity might raise dust. Its close cousin, red oak, is pink to reddish-brown in color with mostly straight grains and very little figuring. Theircertification system provides internationally recognised standard-setting andtrademark assurance to anyone, business or individual, who isinterested in supporting responsible forestry. Ask our knowledgable panel of professionals. (Accessed 10/01/2009). Oak is dense and stiff and resists bending under weight, but if you want curves, you can get them without excessive risk of damage. Cherry typically costs 15 to 20 percent more, and hickory costs an additional 10 to 20 percent above that. Together they help guaranteewood comesfrom sustainable sources, is replaced after harvesting, and is taken without harming the environment and neighbouringecosystems. There have been questions about wood from some EU sources, for exampleillegal logging has long been suspected in Russian and Siberian forests. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Because it was abundant and had qualities similar to mahogany, cherry was often used to make furniture in Colonial America. Ash stains beautifully, but if you're looking for a smooth, glassy surface, you'll need to fill the characteristic open pores with pore filler before finishing the piece. "Bateman Centre at RRU to receive $500,000 of sustainable mahogany." Any suggestions on which wood to use? (Accessed 09/22/2009). You can grow your own ash wood right in your front yard. Poplar trees are easy to sustainably log because of their growth standards, making them a great alternative to walnut hardwood. Cherry is blessed with a straight grain and fine texture. Durability and aesthetics determine the useful life of a wood product in your home. Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) is native to non-coastal areas of the eastern United States. Thank you for getting in touch but unfortunately I can help you on this occasion. Rae, Andy. The wood in your homefrom the exterior to the interior walls, doors, and floorscan make all the difference between that warm, country niche and a cool, modern design. A very soft wood like reclaimed Douglas fir or heart pine can outlast a hardwood like maple if you apply a repairable finish and maintain your floor. Softwood: What Are The Differences? "Black Cherry." "The life of a sugar maple tree." Although stiff, it's easy to work with both hand and power tools; it doesn't wear down saw blades much more than softer woods. These days preserving the planets trees, woodlands and forests are an imperative essential for the future survival of the human race and something we absolutely have to get a grip on. Sustainable hardwoods are harvested from forests managed to maintain a natural balance of tree and plant diversity. If you're more handy than athletic, check out your hand tools. Here is a list of wood types to avoid in your quest for an eco-friendly home: The type of wood you choose for your home isnt the only factor that affects its sustainability. If you dont want to support illegal loggingor encourage deforestation, you needto be aware of how to buy sustainable wood. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=371134#&navid=nhl-search, Northern Research Station. 1997. Roberts, Jennifer. The Forest Stewardship Council FSCis an independent, non-profit organisation promotingresponsible management of the worlds forests. To find soft maple in the stacks of lumber at your retailer, press your fingernail into the surface of the wood. It's suitable for tough-use applications such as flooring, railroad ties, dock and harbor installations and heavy construction. Irresponsible logging leads to deforestation, pollution of waterways from erosion runoff, and the removal of a major resource in the carbon cycle -- a whole forest of oxygen-producing, carbon dioxide-absorbing trees. Since this wood is not endangered and grows quickly, its a great alternative to cherry or even walnut. It depends on its origin. Its characteristic dark streaks and thin lines are the beginning ravages of rot. Thanks. Mahogany's fine texture and deep, rich color have made it the world's choice for fine furniture for centuries. It is a fast growing grass that has the strength and durability of a hardwood, this is perhaps something that you could look in to as an option. It's a coarse-textured wood with strength comparable to oak, but because it's less dense, ash is easier to work with. http://www.fscus.org/news/index.php?article=25, Hanafee Bros. Sawmill Company, Inc. "Soft Maple." http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=486976#&navid=nhl-search, Lacasse, Roger and Karen. Wooden Flooring Types, Finishes and Maintenance Debunked, Bring Colour to Your Home with A Rainbow of Wood Stain Colours, How To Paint Your Garden Fence For A Smooth Finish. Because the wood is hard, you'll need to drill pilot holes for your screws and nails. (Accessed 10/01/2009). On the next page, learn about a sustainable hardwood that's at home in formal living rooms and in outdoor spaces. See more. "Anderson-Tully Company First Southeastern U.S. Timberland Company to Earn Forest Stewardship Council Certification for All Its Lands." http://www.royalroads.ca/news/robert-bateman-centre-royal-roads-university-receive-500000-gift-sustainable-mahogany-waterfore, Schlesinger, Roger C. "White Ash." This past week I was speaking to a representative of a kitchen fitting company which makes all their own units and he told me that oak wood was very popular and in demand just now so I told him about the oak trunk which we have for sale and which up till now we cannot find anyone interested to buy. Cherry trees also have a fairly short lifespan, with maple trees a close third. In some areas there are no trees left and wood is beingsmuggled in from Indonesia to meet demand. There are links in the above blog for both organisations for full details on why and how to get sustainable wood for your projects. These eco-friendly wood alternatives and tips for identifying sustainably-sourced wood can help you prepare for your next home improvement project. The soft variety bends easily for curved furniture and stair railings. (Accessed 09/22/2009). I questioned the salesman about Teak and Tiger wood and he assured me it was certified but when i asked him about sustainability he never actually acknowledged that it came from a sustainable forest. Heather Kolich Pink to reddish hues are characteristic of black cherry, but the wood is photosensitive and darkens quickly if exposed to sunlight. Simply because theyre replaceable, fast-growing species like Pine trees tend to be more sustainable than slow-growing trees like Oak. Kiln-drying stops the decay and preserves the unique figures in the wood. The large, open pores of oak give it a coarse texture that you can see and feel. Water and earth are other sources of iron. Both are very hard woods with a proven track record of durability in turn-of-the-century houses. It seems impossible. Look almost anywhere, and you'll see things made from wood. Unfortunately, a lot of these heavily exploited, highly valuable commercial timber species are vulnerable and threatened with commercial extinction due in major part to demand from consumer markets. Check out these facts about Sungkai wood: Moderate durability, with requiredtreatment. The harvesters also take pains to reduce the impact of the harvest by maintaining a buffer of trees around waterways and reseeding areas damaged by the lumbering equipment. Always look for official certification of the woodssustainable source, even if it says its from the EU. "PA a Keystone for FSC." Wood from unsustainable sources, on the other hand, is chopped down without a second thought leaving bare areas that, unless theyre carefully treated, never really recover to their former glory. Reclaimed wood is recycled wood processed for reuse. http://www.earthsourcewood.com/fscbuilding.aspx, EarthSource Forest Products. We love to see before, during and after photos of any wood finishing project. With about 1500 species its very versatile, and can be harvested in 3-5 years compared with10-20 years for most softwoods. In Malaysia, for example, timber production demands more trees than there are in existence. Sustainable wood carries this seal, which ensures that: The wood was logged without the use of clear-cutting practices that lead to deforestation, The forests management maintains the native plants and wildlife, Timber is harvested from mature trees, which are slower at capturing carbon from the air compared to young trees. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.