What’s not to love about natural wood?  From flooring, siding and paneling, wood is a great addition to any home. Lots of us love the look of natural wood, and besides that, its durable and pretty easy to maintain.  Despite its classy look and great wear, there’s always something that makes me feel just a little bit guilty about it.  Maybe one too many viewings of Fern Gully as a child could be to blame, but to this day I just feel a little bit bad.  Lucky for me however, there are a lot of beautiful ways to enjoy natural wood without the guilt. 

Photo Credit: Sunset Magazine

Recycled wood products have always been around, but they’re making more and more of a comeback for stylistic as well as ecological reasons.  The short version? You can have your cake and eat it too.  Companies in the recycled wood industry go about their business in a couple different ways, some wood is reclaimed from construction sites, others salvaged from demolitions.  Its used wood getting a new lease on life: now that’s something I can get behind, and the rainforest might not mind either. 

Check out more on Recycled and Reclaimed Wood

We’re guessing by now you’ve probably heard the buzz about bamboo flooring.  And for good reason: (just take a look at this)

Photo Credit: Teragren

In a faltering real estate market its smart to consider eco-conscious investments for your home.  The reason?  If you’re planning on selling your home in an uneasy market, you need every advantage you can get.  And what a way to separate your home from the others, as well as sway the hearts and minds of potential buyers, than by adding some green flare to your home.

The great part about choosing to embark on a green remodeling project like bamboo flooring is that you might get to enjoy it in the mean time.  Most home improvement projects take around 3-5 years to recoup their value, so it’s a good idea to think long term where your remodel is concerned.  The added bonus is also that you may get to enjoy the benefits of your remodel before you move on to bigger and better things. 

But back to why we’re twitter pated with bamboo: what makes it so ‘green’ you may be asking?  The thing about bamboo is that is grows like a weed, and it is almost, well, a grass to be exact.  Bamboo matures within a meager 5 and ½ to 6 years after the crop is planted which leads to an abundance of the stuff in relatively short order.  Compare that to the average cedar tree, which needs up to 50 growing years before it reaches maturity and can be harvested for valuable timber. 

Bamboo flooring is also harder and more durable than many conventional wood flooring options, and there are no extra steps involved when it comes to cleaning and maintaining.  I don’t think it gets much better than that.

Want to know more? Find out how its made!

More options for bamboo flooring:

http://www.bamboohardwoods.com/