Unlike chemical laden linoleum, carpet, laminate flooring or MDF products, it is likely solid wood won’t end up in a landfill after a 10-20 years. A large number of our customers are restoring 1890’s to 1920’s Victorian or Craftsman homes. We find many of the homes still have their original VG Douglas Fir floors and solid wood moldings. Solid wood can be sanded and refinished to look like new for up to 100 years or more. When/if it does expire it may be recycled.

When Flooring is Made from Laminate or Engineered Wood Products.

Laminate/engineered flooring first appeared after WWII when homes were being mass produced on concrete slab foundations. Solid wood flooring can’t be nailed to cement, so the market was severely impacted by linoleum and carpet. Laminate/Engineered floors can be a logical alternative when covering concrete. Today, this type of flooring is dominant in the industry because it is less expensive to glue 1/12” wear layer of quality wood over cheaper core material. Unfortunately, the life expectancy of a laminate/engineered floor can be as short as 10 years depending on the wear, initial quality, and how long a homeowner can stand living with needed repairs. These floors simply cannot be refinished due to the thin wear layer. When they are scratched or worn they must be completely replaced. There are also risk factors including excessive formaldehyde emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It is always a good idea to investigate this type of flooring beyond how good it looks in the showroom or how inexpensive it is. Flooring.net appears to be a good source of information and customer reviews. http://www.flooring.net/wood-flooring/ratings.html