Special Advertising Section
Going Green
Still Goin’ Green G
reen continues to grow. From new products and new approaches to doing
business, the wood flooring industry remains at the forefront of sustainability and eco-consciousness. Read on to learn how these companies—all full-page advertisers in this issue—are leading the way.
Bostik Inc.
Bostik says it recognizes that the green movement has become very important to the hardwood flooring industry and that people are concerned about being environmentally responsible with the materials they are putting into their home or business. A couple years ago, Bostik took the initiative to generate products that were VOC-free when its TKO was introduced to the market, a move that it says reduced installers’ exposure when the floor was installed. Bostik now offers premium hardwood adhesives like Ultra-Set SingleStep that are not only VOC-free but also contain 1% by weight postconsumer recycled content. Ultra-Set SingleStep contributes to multiple LEED credit categories, the company adds.
www.bostik-us.com
Flickr | Michelle Zlimen
Bozovich timber Products Inc.
www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com
Bozovich says its goal is to be a leader in the Amazonian forest so that it can assist in its conservation by commercializing lumber harvested by sustainable means. The company says it combines ancestral practices with modern sustainable forest management techniques that have been recognized by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This year, Bozovich obtained an FSC Forest Management Certification for 180,000 acres of forest concessions in the Peruvian Amazon. Along with its FSC Chain of Custody certification, obtained some time ago, the company says its latest move reaffirms its commitment to doing business in a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable way.
www.bozovich.com
August|September 2011 n Hardwood Floors 55
Going Green
Special Advertising Section
Dura Seal
Dura Seal offers three low-VOC water-based finishes, including X-Terra, 2000 ZC-2 and Water Based Polyurethane as alternatives to its existing oil-based finishes. Dura Seal says these innovative formulas allow contractors to maintain green job sites and can be applied using a T-bar or paint pad. All three products offer excellent flow and leveling properties, and contractors can clean them up using just soap and warm water, Dura Seal adds. X-Terra is recommended for commercial and high-traffic residential hardwood floors, while 2000 ZC-2 boasts a single package that contains both cross-linker and finish bottles. Dura Seal Water Based Polyurethane offers the traditional look of an oil-based finish.
www.duraseal.com
Mullican Flooring
Mullican Flooring has invested heavily in products that meet standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the leading wood product certification system that earns Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits for building projects. With the introduction of its Green Haven collection in 2009, Mullican was the nation’s first hardwood flooring manufacturer to produce solid domestic hardwood floors certified as FSC 100% Pure. Today, Green Haven includes 30 FSC-certified products: 10 solid domestic offerings and 20 engineered offerings. Mullican plans to expand this collection in an effort to bring builders and architects more LEED-compliant flooring products.
www.mullicanflooring.com
National Wood Flooring Association
NWFA’s Responsible Procurement Program recognizes wood flooring companies that work to sustain our world’s forests. The program is supported by the Forest Stewardship Council-US and the FSC Family Forests Alliance, which recognize the NWFA RPP as a valid incremental approach toward socially and environmentally responsible forestry. The program is transitional to higher levels of environmental responsibility based on increasing tiers of voluntary participation and associated certification.
www.rpprogram.org
Owens Flooring by Colonial Craft
Owen’s Flooring by Colonial Craft says it is dedicated to providing hardwood flooring in an environmentally responsible way. Only the wear layer is from solid lumber, so Owens can create four strips of flooring rather than one solid piece, and the wear layer is made from responsibly harvested lumber. This best utilizes the resource without any sacrifice to beauty, Owens says. For added strength, durability and versatility, the wear layer is applied to birch plywood, a composite material that best utilizes wood fiber. Owens’ flooring is available FSC-certified, and the company says all of its products are Phase II CARB-compliant.
www.colonialcraft.com
56 Hardwood Floors n August|September 2011
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