Welcome to Owen custom hardwood's "green" page. As an avid scuba diver, mountain biker, and "amateur urban logger", I am passionate about all things green and the conservation of our worlds natural resources. The wood industry in the past, and even now in many parts of the world, have been particularly devastating to our natural resources. As a company, I am committed to doing the best we can ( as should we all) to reduce any negative impact to our environment. I have provided some general information on this page about some of the most commonly asked questions. Keep in mind that much of the information on this page are the facts as I know them and some are my personal opinions. I believe there are many "green" options when it comes to hardwood flooring, so let's explore some of these:

Bamboo
One of the first "green" options often discussed, especially on all the DIY shows is bamboo. Bamboo is most certainly readily renewable, is quite hard and has a unique, modern look to it. I have had no serious issues with the bamboo floors we have laid, however there are some things to consider. Bamboo is an engineered product and requires much energy to produce and to ship, so the embodied energy* on this product can be quite high. Additionally, many of the products are produced in China, therefore putting more American workers potentially out of work. There are also refinishing issues involved with bamboo, especially staining (it will not take stain). Therefore, my conclusion(opinion), is that bamboo may not always be the "green" solution it is always touted to be. A sustainably harvested domestic hardwood can sometimes still be the best option, especially as that here in Kentucky, we have 3 large mills (Lebanon, Monticello and Somerset) that supply local reputable suppliers. This keeps the embodied energy of the product low, keeps money in the local economy, and you have a proven product that could last well over 100 years.

Wood outgreens bamboo. Trees take longer to regenerate than bamboo, which is often touted as an environmentally friendly flooring because it is rapidly renewable; however, longer regeneration time is a benefit because forests with trees of different ages promote biodiversity. In contrast, bamboo is grown in monoculture plantations which do not make as large a contribution to wildlife habitat, air, water, or soil quality. (Idahoforests.org)

Exotics
There are many "exotics" on the market that are touted as "green" options due to their fast growth rates and durability ,such as Ipe' and Lyptus. So many in fact, that I would need page after page to even begin to scratch the surface. However, the sustainability of exotics is a very common question, as the devastation of many South American rain forests is certainly no secret. I have asked many sources and the consensus I have come to is, that, due to the relatively stringent import laws pertaining to these products, most of the exotics milled into flooring are legally harvested and that most of the illegally harvested lumber is used either locally or shipped to Asia or China to be made into furniture to be shipped back and sold in the U.S. or elsewhere. In contrast, one could also make the point that if the legally harvested wood were not in such great demand that it would ease the supply of illegally harvested material, and I feel this is a valid point. So in conclusion, I feel that there are "green" exotic options, especially due to the extreme hardness of some species, which could contribute to a longer product life compared to, say, engineered products, but one should be especially careful to do as much research as possible and use only reputable suppliers. Owen Flooring uses only reputable suppliers.

Recycled material
This is perhaps my favorite "green" option. There are an ever increasing number of companies offering reclaimed/recycled lumber being milled into flooring from sources such as old barns, whiskey warehouses, tobacco barns, etc. The lumber from these sources can be exceptionally beautiful, have amazing character, a few literally do not exist any more, and many have interesting stories behind their sources. I see very few downsides to these products, especially if purchased locally ( and there are quite a few ,including in very small ways myself). The only downside to these if you have not guessed it by now, is the price. Due to a sometimes very labor-intensive process, this will probably not change, but you can have a floor that can become the focal point of your home and have the piece of mind of saving some trees. Be sure to check out a few of these in the gallery with more soon to come.

Engineered Flooring
Engineered flooring is ply material made from cheaper and most often more renewable woods with a top veneer of hardwood or exotic. Engineered does have it's place, especially over concrete, and the stability of engineered products is greater than solid ( through seasonal changes there will be less movement). The fact that less hardwood or exotic material is used on the veneer is admirable, however the biggest problem I personally have is that it can often be a "one time" floor. In other words, the veneer on top is not thick enough to refinish (especially the so called "hand scraped" engineered), so when it gets damaged or wears out , it will have to be replaced rather than be refinished. This is not very green. There are some products that have enough veneer to refinish once or twice, but seldom, if ever ,will you get the refinish life of a solid wood. Owen Flooring likes to sell our customers floors for life, which is in fact very green, so I tend to steer customers away from engineered products.

Environmentally -friendly finishes and finishing
There are quite a few healthier options here as well, but once again cost can be a factor. I am a big fan of a few of the newer high-tech finishes, as well as some of the natural old-tech finishes as well. The dust containment systems employed by Owen Flooring also contribute to a healthier sanding experience. If receiving a bid from Owen Flooring feel free to ask me about these options and I will be happy to discuss them.

Domestic Hardwood Flooring
This is, in my opinion, much overlooked as a "green" option for some of the reasons I touched on a bit in the "bamboo" and "engineered" sections of this page. The fact that the embodied energy of these can be quite low, coupled with the fact that these floors can last several lifetimes should certainly be considered when discussing "green". Owen Flooring has refinished 2 separate floors in Louisville homes with the original hardwood floors just under 200 years old!!

In conclusion, when it comes to anything "green", one can try to do the best they can, and anything is better than nothing. If everyone did just a little, the world would be a much better place. If myself and Owen Flooring can contribute a little bit to this, then I feel it is something we can be proud of.

Rex Owen

*embodied energy is the accumulation of factors such as energy for production, shipment costs and environmental impacts relevant to the particular product