Leading You Towards LEED Credits

November 8th, 2010

As a follow-up to our recent blog on green flooring, and in anticipation of our participation in the upcoming GreenBuild show, where we’ll be exhibiting in Booth #494, in Chicago, November 16–18, here is an overview on our reclaimed and newly sawn hardwood flooring in relation to potential LEED points that you can earn.

Each of our products has the potential to earn multiple points! Not only can you earn points for using any of our wood flooring, we also offer reclaimed timber for structural purposes.

MR (Materials Reuse) Credit 3: Use salvaged, refurbished or reused materials, the sum of which constitutes at least 5% (1 point) or 10% (2 points), based on cost, of the total value of materials on the project.
Any of our reclaimed, antique wood flooring is eligible for points in this category. We also offer reclaimed timber that can be used for structural purposes in framing the building, or as an exposed beam design element. If you use both, you can combine the values of each to add into the calculation.
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Green Living Starts with a Green Floor

October 26th, 2010

As we walk around various industry events, and read articles in design and building publications, the message about “green” products is pervasive. So much so, that it seems companies are running out of ways to refer to their products as “green.”  I saw one booth advertising “eco-neered” flooring!  And even we offer an “eco-nomical” line! Here at The Woods Company, we are proud of the way we make our floors, from beautiful antique wood that is reclaimed from buildings slated for demolition. It is truly green: we’re diverting waste from the landfill, preserving our nation’s history, and recycling building materials. And it’s unique and beautiful on top of being environmentally responsible.

We find that homeowners are becoming increasingly conscious about their living space, moving away from bigger, and towards simpler; away from a lot of stuff and towards fewer quality things; moving away from mass production and towards unique pieces; moving away from environmental unconsciousness to ecological responsibility. Consumers are aware of their workplaces and their living spaces. And a green existence can start with your floor.

There are many options for green flooring. But make sure you understand the entire story: Read the rest of this entry »

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Water + Wood

October 11th, 2010

water + wood

Here at The Woods Company, we tend to get a lot of questions from our customers related to the issue of moisture and wood. Some examples are, “I live on the coast. Will my floors buckle?” “Can I put these floors in my kitchen and bathrooms, or should I use tile?”  “How will I clean my floors if I can’t use water?”

While I’m sure there have been many horror stories of wood floors acting up, I hope to put your fears to rest by explaining the relationship between water and wood, how you can prevent excessive cupping or shrinking, and why a little preparation goes a long way!

Keep in mind the most important thing when considering your climate, or where in your home you’d like to put wood:  It’s not the introduction of moisture that impacts how dramatically wood will move, it’s the change in moisture. Preparation, acclimation, and consistency are key in ensuring that your wood floor will stay stable with minimal movement through the seasons, and no matter where you live.
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It Starts With a Tree

September 20th, 2010

Hillside barn in Vermont

We spend a lot of time talking with our customers about the unique beauty of the wood that we reclaim from old buildings and make into beautiful flooring. We love telling the stories about the old factories or barns where our country’s history was made.

But, it all started with a tree.  Hundreds of years ago, before the first American settlers ever set foot on our country’s soil, old growth longleaf Heart Pine trees grew to majestic heights― straight, tall, and strong.  The growth cycle of the Heart Pine allowed it to survive fires and become the dominate specie in the South: Instead of growing upward right away as most saplings do, longleaf seedlings “sit” flat on the ground in what is termed the “grass stage” for periods of three to fifteen years. During this time the young tree grows a long, heavy taproot that helps it reach far down into the sandy soil toward moisture. Using the stored food in the taproot the sapling can then shoot rapidly upward later in its growth cycle. Also unique to the Longleaf, the branches don’t appear until the trunk has already grown tall, which explains why there are few to no knots in the outer “sapwood” of the log.  The tree’s “jumping upward” is a strategy for surviving in an area of frequent fires, because by growing rapidly upward in a single spurt, the young tree minimizes the amount of time its growing tip is vulnerable to destruction by fires. Read the rest of this entry »

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History as Exotic

September 8th, 2010

The Woods Company has always had a passion for wood, and considering that we make floors out of wood that has been reclaimed from old historic buildings slated for demolition, we also have a passion for the structures, the stories, and the history that has unfolded within the walls for sometimes hundreds of years.

I’ve always been intrigued with the interest that so many people have in “exotic” hardwoods, or wood that comes out of the rainforests in regions such as the Brazilian Amazon, Cameroon (Western Africa), Bolivia, and Papua New Guinea.  Is the interest in the word “exotic” itself because it sounds so…well…exotic? Or is it the thought of owning something unique and not readily available? Or is it because the perception has been that this type of wood is more hard and durable?

The dictionary’s definition of the word includes:
ex·ot·ic [ig-zot-ik]: attractive or striking because colorful or out of the ordinary; of a kind not used for ordinary purposes or not ordinarily encountered.

This is the way I think about the antique wood that we reclaim and turn into beautiful flooring. Read the rest of this entry »

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