So you’ve decided its time to replace the flooring in your home. And if you are like many Colorado homeowners, hardwood flooring is probably at the top of your list. It’s a wonderful choice throughout your main living areas, and can provide years of enjoyment and durability no matter what rooms you choose to have it installed.

Yet if you’ve decided on installing hardwood flooring in your home, there is more to think about then color and style.

Environmentally friendly flooring means being aware and proactive of the woods you choose to have installed in your home. In order for a hardwood product to meet legal requirements right here in the US, it must be produced from responsibly managed forests and legally logged trees. If forests are responsibly managed, they are one of the most sustainable resources we have.

Back in 1900, the Lacey Act was put into law that prohibits the trade of wildlife, fish or plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold. A 2008 amendment included a protected a wider variety of prohibited plants, which made it illegal to create products from illegally loggged woods.

Illegally logging of trees includes a variety of things:

• Using corrupt means to gain access to the forest
• Removing trees without permission from protected forests
• Cutting down protected species
• Harvested and imported with illegal means

While it seems logical that all wood flooring products on the market today would fall into this category and follow the codes, its still a buyer beware process. The Lacey Act is a “fact based” stature rather than a document based statute, which means the private sector complies as it sees fit without a set of documentation in place to monitor it.

As a consumer, it does in some cases put the burden on you.

If sustainability is important in your final choice, do your homework before making a selection. There are good, domestic FSC-certified hardwoods available, created from companies that help protect forests and feel confident these forests are being managed to the highest of standards.

You can also look for companies that use the SFI Standard Program as a tool to demonstrate their care for forested land. They measure according to the variety of amenities a forest offers – water, air, recreation, aesthetics, wildlife, jobs – and ensures forest management have continued incentives to keep the forest in top condition to ensure sustainability for years to come.

Sometimes shopping online for price alone will not give you, the consumer, the information you need to make a well informed decision on the status of your final hardwood selection. And in some cases, depending on the source, they may even be breaking the law.

To ensure you have a top quality, hardwood floor for final use in your home, talk with your flooring consultant first to make a well-informed decision. Not only will it impact the quality of your home, it will also ensure our lifestyles for years to come.

For all of your Denver Hardwood Flooring needs visit our site today.