Reintroducing Real Hardwood Surfaces and Panels-Hardwoods: ENDURING VALUE AND AN ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE CHOICE
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SURFACEANDPANEL.COM
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BY KEITH CHRISTMAN
ardwood surfaces arguably have set the standard for beauty and utility in built settings since people started building! Real hardwoods have been used for elegant floors, wall panels, elaborate moldings, cabinets and furniture for hundreds of years and hardwood beauty has withstood the test of time. One compelling reason is that they’ve always provided a strong return on investment and value. In fact, beautiful and unique hardwood products top the National Association of Realtors Remodeling Impact Report return — with a 147 percent return on investment for hardwood floor refinishing and 118 percent for new wood floors. Other flooring materials and faux wood options are nowhere to be found in the top listings for return on investment. Their role is a temporary substitute until the real thing can be acquired. This study also highlights another benefit of real hardwoods — they can be refinished and made beautiful again enabling reuse for years to come. Refinishing floors, cabinets, and furniture reduces the amount of materials that are thrown away when styles change or a few years of wear take a toll. This ability to refinish real hardwood products including hardwood plywood panels and veneers provides an important benefit to building and furniture owners. Waste from products that cannot be refinished or refurbished has become an issue legislators and policymakers are addressing with more vigor. Many states are looking to mandate policies known as consumers right-to-repair products. Kiplinger Magazine reported on this legislative trend in July with Minnesota, New York, Colorado and California having passed or currently considering legislation. Much of this legislation applies to electronics at this point, but architects, designers and builders are thinking more about the ability to recycle and refinish building products to reduce waste, increase value and protect the environment. On that note, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently asked for comments on how the U.S. government can increase the use of building products that reduce climate change. Forest products like hardwood plywood, veneer and engineered wood floors meet this challenge from the start. Trees store carbon throughout their growing lives, but the climate benefits don’t stop there. Carbon is further sequestered when the trees are utilized to manufacture finished goods. In fact, wood products are 50 percent carbon by weight, continuing to store carbon for the life of the product.