The unfortunate truth of deforestation for the tropical timber industry—as for biodiversity, climate, hydrological systems and simple natural beauty—is that land once productive now becomes an unusable catastrophic loss.
Where are we? How the wood industry is absent from the international forestry dialogue.
The wood products industry must actively participate in the global forestry sector dialogue. Wood products are a key ingredient to generating economic returns that allow forests and forestry to compete with other land use options that typically have more adverse forest and climate change impacts.
Asian White Oak Hardwood Flooring Spotlight
Asian White Oak (Quercus Mongolica) is just one of over 600 oak species in the Quercus genus. This particular oak species can be found growing throughout the easternmost parts of Asia in countries such as China, Russia, Mongolia, Korea and Japan. The color, appearance and properties of Asian White Oak are very similar to our own North American White Oak flooring (Quercus Alba).
Cumaru Brazilian Teak Hardwood Flooring Spotlight
Cumaru, also referred to as Brazilian Teak, is the lighter, color-sorted, pieces of regular Cumaru. Cumaru flooring is commonly sorted into Light and Dark shades. Brazilian Teak offers that warm, neutral, tannish-brown color so many customers ask for. Aesthetically speaking it is in a category by itself.
Prefinished Wood Floor Warranties – What’s Covered & What’s Not
Prefinished wood floors are a substantial investment and their warranties can offer value and protection from catastrophic events when properly adhered to. Be sure to thoroughly read the manufacturer’s warranty, as well as maintenance requirements, when considering a wood floor purchase.
Elemental Exotic Hardwood Flooring – Wood Flooring 101
Elemental’s solid hardwood flooring program specializes in imported exotic woods. Wood flooring in its simplest format breaks down into UF (unfinished – sand and finish application) and PF (prefinished – no sanding and finishing required).
Timborana (Brazilian Oak) Hardwood Flooring Spotlight
Timborana, also known as Brazilian Oak, is an elegant light colored exotic hardwood species, which can be found throughout Central America & Brazil. The wood ranges in color from a light tannish-yellow to a slightly darker golden reddish-brown. As the wood ages it will slowly develop moderate red tones, which only enhance its overall beauty.
Merbau Hardwood Flooring Spotlight
Merbau is a beautiful exotic hardwood that grows in the forests of Southeast Asia as well as throughout the South Pacific region. When freshly cut the color of the wood is yellow to orangish-brown, but upon exposure will darken to a rich dark brown to reddish-brown color much like Brazilian Cherry.
Wood Floor Hardness Ratings – How Important Is The Janka Test?
Is the hardness of your wood floor important? The answer to that question is… it depends. In North America the hardness of a wood floor is determined by the results of a Janka test. The results, which are measured in pounds-force, are determined by embedding a .444 in. steel ball into the wood to half the ball’s diameter.
Ipe Hardwood Flooring Spotlight
Today’s blog is a product spotlight for one of the most durable hardwoods in the world – Ipe. Ipe is one of the most popular, and familiar, exotic hardwood species that comes out of South America; it is also one of the most diverse.
Acclimation is Critical for Solid Wood Flooring Installation
Proper acclimation is a critical component in every solid wood flooring install. It is effectively the final stage of the “drying” process that allows a given wood flooring product to equalize and stabilize its internal moisture content to the specific living environment in which it will be installed.
Tigerwood Hardwood Flooring Spotlight
Tigerwood trees can be found from Mexico all the way down through Central and South America. The color of the heartwood is a stunning golden brownish-orange to reddish-brown with subtle to very defined black striping throughout. As the wood ages it will darken to a deep reddish-brown color accentuating its characteristic stripes.