March 21, 2021 marks the International Day of Forests – a day designated by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2012 to raise awareness of – and to celebrate – the importance of forests for both environment, climate and the economy, worldwide. The theme for the 2021 International Day of Forests is:
Forest Restoration: A Path to Recovery and Well-being.
Sustainability
Forestry Timber takes its commitment to sustainability very seriously; sourcing materials from sustainably managed forests and ensuring the wood we buy meets a multitude of uncompromising environmental standards, worldwide. Further, once complete, up to 70% of the base of our engineered hardwood floors is made up of plantation wood, harvested only at the end of its productive lifecycle, making room for new trees to be planted and the cycle to begin again.
Hevea Brasiliensis – At the Core of Our Floors
The wood we use for the core of our engineered wood floors is Hevea Brasiliensis – a strong, high density plantation hardwood renowned for its strength and durability – on par with White Oak. Hevea can withstand varying temperatures and moisture, letting it acclimate to its environment making it less likely for our hardwood floors to expand or contract with exposure to adverse conditions. Having such a strong and durable core enables us to provide the much coveted wider and longer planks that designers and consumers prefer.
Sengon – the Foundation
Sengon is the other plantation wood we use, this time for the foundation of our engineered hardwood floors. Like the Hevea, Sengon is a plantation wood in Indonesia (and other places around the world) that is pest-resistant, lightweight and grows very quickly, letting the forest replenish quickly.
As stated in an article on the International Climate Initiative website, “… since Sengon is a leguminous species, it binds nitrogen in the soil and thereby improves the fertility of degraded land. This offers an economically and ecologically viable means of making unproductive land usable again.”
The Making of Our Engineered Wood Floors
Together, the harvesting of Sengon and Hevea from plantation forests to create the base and core of our floors give us the ability to facilitate the natural cycle of these trees. Once the trees have come to the end of their productive life the forest needs to be culled to remove vegetation that competes with newer trees for nutrients and space. By using plantation wood, Forestry Timber actively participates in reducing our output of carbon emissions to lessen the impact of our carbon footprint.
Creating Livelihoods
Using timber from sustainably harvested forests and plantation wood for more the foundation and core of our engineered hardwood floors means we can be part of the bigger picture with regard to sustainability, forest replenishment and supporting the livelihoods of many families.
Hardwood Flooring Engineered for Living, Designed to Impress