Wood Floor Sources
Many people are surprised to learn that hardwood is considered the most environmentally friendly type of flooring. Wood manufacturing uses few chemicals, creates almost no toxic vapors, and relies on a system of tree farming that guarantees long-lasting sustainability.
Renewable Resource
In the United States, many hardwood tree farms harvest in a way that ensures trees are replaced more quickly than they are used. At current levels, the rate of growth for new trees is much higher than the demand.
What about mature trees? There’s good news here too. It takes about 50 to 60 years for a tree to reach full maturity. Trees that are growing now won’t be needed for many more decades. They’ll be left to grow to their fullest size and potential before being harvested.
In short, trees are a renewable resource and flooring is a green choice whether you’re using reclaimed wood or newly milled lumber.
Importing Trouble
The most commonly used American woods are those that are most abundant here, such as oak, hickory, maple and pine.
Some flooring manufacturers import maple from Canada. Others use exotic woods like rosewood, teak and mahogany. These woods primarily come from Brazil and Southeast Asia.
You should always be cautious when using imported wood. The problem with buying exotic imports is that there’s no way of knowing the source of the wood. In the U.S. as in many other countries, it is illegal to buy wood that was not harvested in a sustainable manner. But enforcement of this law is extremely difficult, and it can often be hard to know where the wood actually came from.
To ensure that your wood floors come from sustainable sources, you can ask for “certified” wood, meaning wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. But keep in mind that there is no guarantee the wood was farmed responsibly. It’s simply impossible to track exactly where every strip and plank of wood came from and some countries are notorious for skirting the law.
Consider the Source
Cochran’s Lumber only uses American woods from growers who practice responsible, environmentally sound farming and reforestation. We do not import exotic woods from anywhere. We use traditional American hardwoods that have been grown, harvested and newly milled right here.
Our only other source of wood is reclaimed wood from abandoned buildings, old barns and other reclaimed sources.
That’s it. We won’t take chances on mystery wood. We won’t risk buying wood that may have been illegally or improperly harvested in another country. As millwrights with deep roots in this community, sustainability is in our blood. We have a deep-seated pride in our heritage and in the heritage of America’s beautiful, character-filled hardwoods.
Know Your Woods
You should never wonder where your wood came from. When you buy from us, you know just where we got the wood we use. You also know exactly how and where it was processed.
We mill on-site using traditional woodworking techniques that have been handed down for generations. We don’t use automation to take shortcuts; we don’t take shortcuts at all. We still craft our wood by hand to bring out its deep-set, inner beauty. That wood took many years to grow and we will take whatever time is needed to make it look its best. You wouldn’t want anything less in your home and we wouldn’t either.
The Right Choice
Whether we’re finishing reclaimed planks or creating a durable, low-maintenance engineered wood floor made in USA, we always keep one eye on tradition and another on the needs of today’s consumer. Our woods will look gorgeous and add character to your home for decades. We make wood flooring that is beautiful, enduring and as green as it gets.
The right wood floor is the foundation of your home’s style. Call or visit us today and we’ll help you choose the refurbished wood, new wood or engineered wood floor that will bring your vision to life.
Cochran’s Lumber is proud to be the leading provider of spectacular floors for homes, offices, and retail spaces across America! Our newly redesigned showroom was thoughtfully designed to make the selection of flooring and finishes exciting and simple. We feature a variety of new and reclaimed flooring products and many new and unique finishes.
We are proud to offer an inviting space where customers can come and get a clear visual of the many types of hardwood flooring options that we offer, and feel comfortable at the same time.
Visit our showroom today in historic Berryville, VA (only 50 miles west of Washington D.C) or give us a call at 1(877) 297-8331.
