Health Benefits of Wood Floors

Your health should be paramount when you make decisions about what to place in your home. We often spend our time searching for organic foods, sustainable home decorating products, and more. However, when is the last time you thought about how your flooring can influence your health or the environment? The truth is that not all flooring types are created equal when it comes to something as important as your health.

If you need to be convinced that wood floors are the best option to keep you healthier throughout the year, check out a few of these features!

Reduces Allergies

Do you have moderate to severe allergies? You might unknowingly be exacerbating your symptoms with carpeted rooms throughout your home. Carpet and carpet pad are notorious for collecting dust, pet dander, and other air contaminants that can trigger potential asthmatic episodes or allergy symptoms. Even vacuuming isn’t likely to remove all of these allergens.

If you really want to reduce your runny nose and sneezing, you should consider making the switch to hard surface floors. They are much easier to keep clean, and they don’t harbor the same allergens like carpet does. All you need to do is sweep up the dust and pet dander on a regular basis and your home will feel as good as new. Wood floors can drastically cut down on your allergy symptoms and allow you to live your life.

No VOCs or Toxins

Most consumers have no idea what goes into the manufacturing of the flooring. They are uninformed concerning finishes, chemical components, and all of the other specific details of flooring construction. Fortunately, wood floors are a reliable source for environmentally-friendly and sustainable flooring.

Every floor that Woodboys offers meets the strict CARB 2 standards for formaldehyde emissions. The over thirty manufacturers represented in our showroom produce hardwood flooring that have no volatile organic compounds that enter into the air, triggering allergies and respiratory reactions. If you are already diagnosed with respiratory issues, the VOCs found in inexpensive or lesser quality flooring products may make your symptoms worse.

For example, consider the long-term effects of the new waterproof vinyl flooring that is so popular among homeowners today. Recent studies are finding that children living in homes with vinyl flooring have higher concentrations of harmful semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in their blood and urine. The primary ingredient children were exposed to is known as benzyl butyl phthalate metabolite, which has been linked to:

• Respiratory disorders
• Skin irritations
• Multiple myeloma
• Reproductive disorders

Wouldn’t it be better to avoid some of these negative side effects by opting for healthier flooring choices like wood?

Creates a Carbon Sink

If you ever attended a basic science course, you probably already know that trees absorb carbon and release oxygen back into the air. Every tree performs this process throughout its lifespan, but what happens when the tree is milled to create flooring? Many consumers believe that the carbon will be released from the tree, creating a problem with the ozone layer and the environment.

A tree that dies of natural causes and decays in the woods will release all of the carbon it holds back into the atmosphere. You might be surprised to learn that the carbon remains sequestered inside the tree when it is milled into durable products like wood flooring. This allows your flooring to become a carbon sink instead of a carbon source.

The Final Verdict

If you want to make a healthy choice with regard to the type of flooring you choose for your home, wood floors are the definite way to go. They can decrease your allergy symptoms, help set you up for long-term health, and be a benefit to the environment. When you combine all this in addition to the look and feel of real hardwood floors, you’re sure to realize that wood floors are the obvious choice.