Appalachian Hardwood has been proven to offer a bounty of benefits to your health, home, and environment. From increases in property values to improvements in home air quality, purchasing Appalachian Hardwood is an investment toward your future.
Environment
Appalachian Hardwood offers a variety of environmental benefits that imported laminates and faux-woods simply can’t. Appalachian Hardwood is a completely sustainable resource, with two trees growing for every one tree removed. Since 2007, sustainability efforts have actually grown Appalachian forests by 300,000 acres. Watch this video on Hardwoods – The Responsible Choice. Here are more ways that Appalachian Hardwood benefits the environment:
- Imported, wood and wood alternative products are not regulated as strictly as domestic products, meaning that imported laminates and wood alternatives from overseas may not meet U.S. sustainability and environmental standards.
- Wood, bamboo, and wooden alternatives transported across long distances, such as internationally or coast-to-coast, create a higher carbon-footprint than buying Appalachian Hardwood.
- Appalachian Hardwood is carbon-neutral. Hardwood trees absorb carbon in the air and store it. Trees that become hardwood products keep that carbon stored inside, making it a more greenhouse-friendly alternative to substitutes which use large amounts of energy to create.
- Appalachian Hardwood products are among the most energy-efficient to manufacture. Products created from steel, aluminum, glass, concrete, and brick can require up to 126 times more energy to make.
- You can purchase a solid Appalachian Hardwood dining room suite knowing that the wood grows back in about 20 seconds. As well, the volume of hardwood to floor in an average home grows back in the Appalachian region in less than a minute.
- Appalachian Hardwood manufacturing requires three steps: harvest, sawing and kiln drying. In comparison, steel and concrete creation requires a multi-step strategy, and environmental damage resulting from open-pit mining and oil-extraction in order to obtain the resources.
- Appalachian Hardwood products can last for generations and can be recycled or repurposed. In comparison, carpet and imported laminate floorings last a few years and are difficult to recycle. Instead, they become additions to landfills that can take centuries to break down. Products like imported laminate, on the other hand, may break down but will never biodegrade.
- Wood is a natural material derived from a dynamic resource and as a result the Appalachian hardwoods vary greatly in look, character and performance from species to species. It’s nature beauty that shows through each piece.
Health
Appalachian Hardwood offers a variety of health benefits compared to carpets, imported laminates, and wood substitutes. Almost all hardwood alternatives have been linked to some sort of air pollution that can provoke, or create, asthma or allergies. Most specifically, carpets are notorious for their ability to trap and hold dust, pesticides, and parasites, where imported laminates and other substitutes have been shown to emit higher levels of harmful gases into the air. Most people spend 60% of their time in their home living, eating, and sleeping… and if you’re using anything but Appalachian Hardwood, you’re putting yourself at a higher risk daily.
- Solid hardwoods don’t trap pet dander, parasites, dirt, dust, pesticides, and chemicals which, when walked across on other flooring, expel themselves into the air.
- Unlike imported laminate products, solid hardwoods contain few glues or chemicals that are linked to harmful emissions. Many wood substitutes have been shown to contain chemical levels up to 20x higher than the U.S. EPA allows. Products with levels of chemicals this large can poison home air quality, and potentially cause serious nose or lung health issues.
Home
Homes created with Appalachian Hardwood are an investment for your future. Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or a seasoned one who’s looking to build a home that will last for generations, Appalachian Hardwood offers the benefits that alternatives cannot.
- Appalachian Hardwood is built to last and its warm, beautiful, high quality look never goes out of style. Well-constructed Appalachian Hardwood products can last for generations, unlike carpets and imported laminates which are replaced frequently.
- While hardwood substitutes lose value over time, Appalachian Hardwood increases in value. When looking to build a home’s equity, Appalachian Hardwood is the perfect choice. Homes built with solid hardwood cabinets, moldings, and floors are highly sought after, and can make or break a home sale.
- Solid Appalachian Hardwood floors are easily cleaned and restored. If something happens to a piece of imported laminate, or if a stain or burn gets placed in carpet, the whole flooring needs to be replaced. If a dent or a burn is made in a piece of Appalachian Hardwood, the section can be sanded-down and restored, or the section can be replaced.
- You’re going to be spending a lot of time in your home, and Appalachian Hardwood products assure that your health isn’t being affected indirectly. Appalachian Hardwood offers a bounty of health benefits, where alternatives have been linked to a variety of health issues.