Perhaps you’re one of the many who has (finally) tired of days past, where homeowners had the choice of oak, oak, or oak for their hardwood.  Today, Brazillian cherry, tigerwood, Asian maple, and acacia top the list of favorites.  Indeed, exotics are frequently the direction our clients are going for hardwood.  But, what kind of implications does having a houseful of exotic wood come with?  Is this environmentally responsible?

The short answer is that laws and regulations are ensuring that it is responsible.  The Lacey Act is one such piece of legistlation which makes it more difficult to bring uncertified woods from exotic species into the U.S.  The act puts substantial consequences in place for every party involved with getting hardwood into your home: the forester, the transporter, the importer and exporter, the designer, the specifier, the installer, and yes, even the home owner.  The fines can be staggering, so make sure that you’re asking for documentation on the hardwoods coming into your home.  Look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified labels on hardwood samples and ask your salesperson or designer if you’re unsure.

Lucky for you, Eheart’s got you covered.  We just brought in a fantastic line of exotic hardwoods that come in at less than $8 per square foot and fall into regulations seamlessly.  And, they have special features to improve the wearability–so your pets and kids no longer have to be a major concern.  Just look at some of the beautiful choices:

• It can be harvested every 3-5 years (versus 50-75 for hardwood)
• It produces twenty five times the amount of product hardwood can in the same lifespan
• It is the fastest growing plant on earth

• The color spectrum that can be achieved in bamboo is nearly limitless.  The color in bamboo is made darker by heating the material until the sugars within it brown.  This process reduces the strength of the material.
• A medium colored bamboo sits at about 1200 on the Janka scale for flooring hardness.  This is right between oak and pecan.
• It is more dimsionally stable than hardwood, expanding and contracting 50% less than hardwood.
• Bamboo is exceptionally durable, especially stranded bamboo, which is coated with resin and can even be used commercially (in banks, hospitals, etc).