No. Trees are a natural, renewable resource that can be continually harvested and replanted without serious environmental impact.

Also consider:

• Wood floors last generations making replacement a nonissue
• Wood floors use less water and energy to produce than other flooring options
• Average annual net growth for hardwoods is greater than average annual harvesting
• Indoor air quality is better with wood floors
• Trees are carbon neutral and produce oxygen while storing carbon during lifecycles
• At the end of its extended service life, wood flooring can be burned as fuel or recycled

Yes. Bacteria, dust, dirt and allergens cannot cling to wood flooring as they do in other flooring options; simply dustmop, sweep, or vacuum regularly and your wood floors stay pollutant free.

Yes. Bevels are added to the sides of the board to soften the edge and help boards line up next to each other with even thickness for easier installation and structural stability. Bevels help to prevent the edges of the flooring finish being crushed when the flooring expands. This is why there are very few square edged prefinished floors. Some prefinished floors have bevels on all four sides of the board, and some only on the two long sides.

Yes. Lower flooring grades will have a larger number of character markings and color variations, but you can expect some color variation in all grades. Keep in mind that certain light stain colors can emphasize color variation, while darker stains can help to reduce the appearance of color variation.

All wood flooring is more or less photosensitive, and some species are very sensitive to ultra-violet light. It’s important to prevent the sun’s rays from discoloring your floor by shielding it against direct sunlight. However, it’s normal for hardwood floors exposed to even indirect sunlight to darken or lighten after a while, so for consistency, rotate rugs and furniture to equal out the amount of sunlight exposure and variances will eventually fade away.

Seasonal expansion and contraction of flooring boards is considered normal. There is more humidity during the summer months and your floor soaks it up causing it to expand. Winter months are usually less humid and the floor dries out resulting in gaps between boards. While considered normal, you can minimize expansion and contraction by keeping the humidity in your home between 35 and 55% by using an air conditioner, humidifier or dehumidifier.

Although it should look similar, each hardwood tree differs from others and even wood from the same tree can show variance. Wood is a 100% organic material shaped by nature. No trees or boards are alike, and variation should be expected and appreciated as nature’s unique signature.

This refers to allowing your new solid wood flooring to adjust to your home’s average temperature and humidity levels in the room where it will be installed. Acclimation is a critical step in the installation process, and if skipped, can result in damage to flooring after it has been installed-damage that would not be covered under warranty. If, for example, you live in an area with high temperature and humidity swings, you probably would need to install humidity controls to help maintain a consistent environment for your wood flooring. There is no set time period for solid flooring to acclimate to your home. It is important for the installer to have a good quality wood moisture meter to be able to measure the moisture in the wood and know when it has reached equilibrium with the home.

No. You should never install solid hardwood flooring below grade; however, it is possible to install engineered hardwood floors below grade either by gluing down or floating over the concrete.