Virtually every market today has geared – whether it is significantly or minutely – towards being more environmentally friendly. From your local grocer’s encouraging re-usable bags and even producing them for the public to purchase, to bigger industries like the automobile field pushing out new and innovative products to conserve natural resources such as fuel materials (oil, coal, wood) and recycle reusable products, like plastics and aluminums. Any industries that haven’t done so already are predicted to be going “green” soon enough.

Here at FlooringNow, we showcase products and species that are geared towards the current trends in flooring worldwide. And the current trend in flooring is going green. Environmental consciousness has broken through to the masses and spurred forward a surge of products endorsed by organizations promoting the conservation of old-growth forests around the world, developing and utilizing new and effective ways to produce and distribute green flooring products.

The wave of green flooring throughout the industry has inspired the popular Floormall.com to create its own line of flooring: Terra Verde. The purpose is to give buyers the flooring they want while minimizing the effects on the global ecosystem. Full product series are available, from domestic hardwoods like hand scraped maple, to exotic woods like Jatobá. Terra Verde flooring holds promise as an environmental contender in today’s market as the continual growth of green products expands in every field.

Terra Verde flooring sports its own site with the aesthetics of something you might see in a site displaying artistic wood specialties. The aesthetic and pleasing format makes it easier than ever to decide which products you want to view, sort by construction and origin. Solid domestic, exotic engineered, and everything in between are neat and refreshingly easy to sort by.

With an impressive history in regards to customer service, order accuracy and satisfaction, Terra Verde’s skilled and informative customer service representatives can guide the uninformed to make an educated decision, or assist professionals to get unparalleled savings for their projects.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Installers

For the Average Joe, installing hardwood or tile is something of a problem. While new clicking laminate and cork products have greatly simplified installations, no replacement can be made for a qualified, experienced installer.

Usually, a homeowner with an upcoming project will hire a contractor to assist them in the decision making, as well as the installation. Others will buy the product independently, and then hire an installer to put in the floor. In situations like this, it can sometimes be difficult to find an intelligent, trustworthy installer. That is why Floormall.com has taken an extra step in the internet flooring business to provide you – the customer – with a plethora of installers wherever you may be.

Each of the recommended companies below specialize in assisting homeowners in need of installation advice and services.

Popularity: 10% [?]

In the flooring industry, no other wood beats Brazilian walnut flooring in terms of outright hardness. With an unmatched 3680 Janka rating, Brazilian walnut, or Ipé, excels in durability. Decking is a good use to put it to, as pressure washing can bring back the full, dark coloring of Ipé from graying. Unfortunately for woodworkers, this hardness also impedes the ability of this wood to be worked. It has a resistance to shaping and tends to dull blades quickly.

South American Ipé is particularly resistant to both fire and insects. Grade A – the fire-resistance grade assigned to cement – also applies to Ipé. Even in the natural form, a towering 140 foot tall, 6 foot wide tree, Tabebuia Serratifolia shows moderate aversion to flame.

The dark brown, chocolate coloring of this specie seems to entice people towards it, eliciting a positive response in any atmosphere. Like most hardwoods, Ipé darkens over time. It should be noted that decking is the popular choice for this wood because of its hardness. Finishing can be difficult due to the density, and outdoor use eliminates the need to apply extensive coating. The weathering process of outdoors negates quickly any finishing applied, especially in damp or wet regions. If indoor flooring is the intended use, it is recommended to compare pre-finished Brazilian Walnut with the added trouble of finishing at home. The overall durability, however, supercedes many finishes.

Engineered hardwood flooring may be preferred over solids for the simple reason of workability. Ipe is notorious for being difficult to nail. Most professionals recommend pre-drilling holes for the nailing process: yes, this wood is that hard.

Popularity: 80% [?]

Normally, when the word “cork” is spoken, it is in reference to wine corks, or even bulletin boards. Each is an excellent example of its own use for the extraordinary material. Wine bottle corks utilize the moisture resistance inherent in cork, while the latter for the impact absorption it provides. Both qualities are also highly sought after in another industry as well, though, perhaps even more so: flooring. The same features present in wine bottle corks and on the thumb-tack pin cushions transfer into cork flooring, coming together to make a perfect choice for those who are either concerned about spills, or are on their feet for long periods of time; the moisture resistance makes dampness less of an issue, and the remarkable 40 percent compression figure encourages relief on feet, legs, and even stature.

A plethora of other qualities mark cork as a preferred choice for your flooring needs, such as its natural aversion to fire. Even before harvesting, the Cork Oak Trees in the Mediterranean are often left the least-damaged in brutal forest fires. The bark on these trees – known scientifically as Quercus Suber – resists the heat of the flames, and this characteristic is certainly present later on, when the material is processed into tiles. Of a similar note, this helps to make the material a fine insulator, whether it is as flooring, or underlayment.

The list of features grows further as you learn about Suberin, a waxy substance produced by the tree that repels insects, and also influences the Cork Oak’s Latin name. If you’ve ever held a cork from a wine bottle, the slight feel of it being waxy is contributed by this substance. Suberin also helps to prevent rot when the cork is exposed to moisture for extended periods of time. Additionally, this miracle brew helps to prevent mold.

The actual harvesting process of the trees is as different from other woods as its qualities are. The Cork Oak is not cut down when obtaining cork. Instead, the bark is carefully peeled away from the trunk, leaving a thin, membranous layer that transfers nutrients to the tree, sustaining it without its protective “skin.” The intricacy of this process ensures that the tree survives the experience. The bark then re-grows, and is ready to be harvested again in just under a decade – normally around nine years. Portugal produces most of the cork for the world, and has accommodated this industry by placing important preservation laws to conserve the trees, and refine the method of harvesting so that virtually no trees are lost. Furthermore, almost none of the product is lost in the refining process, making Cork one of the leading choices in green housing. Cork Oaks live over two centuries, during which time they will be harvested over twenty times, and at the end of their long life, will be replaced by two saplings.

The wide variety of cork products almost necessitates an equally vast variety in flooring choices. Colors range from tan and brown to green to chocolate and black. Each color can be placed into almost any atmosphere and blend with the feel that is trying to be produced.

Popularity: 77% [?]

In contemporary flooring styles, there are many options to choose from. Virtually hundreds of different styles and types of wood are available, but few stand out so much as the ever-popular Tigerwood Flooring. Produced from the species branch Astronium it has gained a large preference where both interior flooring and decking are concerned. Tigerwood boasts a light background wood, enriched with stripe-like veins resembling brushstrokes that accentuate the overall exotic look. The backgrounds range in color, depending on what portion of tree is used. Sapwood is generally lighter, ranging from a pale tan to middle tones of brown, while heartwood is darker, making the contrast between striping and background more subtle. The aging quality that comes from exposure to sunlight darkens the lighter colors to more rustic reds.

Tigerwood is an excellent choice for the environment as well. With certification from the FSC – the Forest Stewardship Council – Tigerwood has a record of being less strenuous on the Brazilian neotropical forests it is harvested from. This moderation, of course, means preservation of the Earth’s natural resources.

As appealing to the eye as Tigerwood may be, in truth it may be the durability that leads the customer to decorate their home with this remarkable wood. Tigerwood is incredibly durable, with a Janka rating ranging between 1700 and 1900. It also boasts a natural resistance to both decay and insects, making it preferable for outdoor use. Even before preservation methods, the lifespan extends well past twenty years. This only reinforces the sense that this is a perfect choice for long-lasting beauty, inside and out.

Popularity: 97% [?]