Some might say wood has never left commercial settings. With all the hype about vinyl plank and tile, it’s easy to forget just how critical wood remains in both residential and commercial.
First and foremost, flooring made of real wood remains top priority if affordable for many commercial projects. Prices remain consistent, and floors aren’t the only consideration for wood in a commercial setting.
With today’s super-hard finishes, to the no-VOC oils, wood offers so much more with all its inherent attributes. But before I go into describing positive attributes on flooring, let’s look at growing trends for wood in commercial settings.
With continued advancements of technology, engineered wood products are producing a wide variety of products including trusses, ceilings, millwork that includes doors, treads, risers, floor vents, railings, and balusters. Walls have taken on a texture and statement never seen before with new product availability. Virtually any product imaginable can be introduced into today’s commercial settings via wood.
The building blocks of the wood structure you never see start with your core plywood manufacturers. Companies like Boise Cascade, Universal Forest Products, Blue Linx, Hardwoods of Fresno, all help to lay a solid foundation for the future growth of plywood and its continual evolution for better utilization of all its components.
On a much more visible perspective, upscale wooden doors have grown exponentially in the commercial construction industry. With leading companies like Jeld-Wen, Masonite, Steve’s Door, Simpson Door, Sun Mountain, Tru Stile, Lynden Doors, Sierra Doors Stallion, Appalachian, USA Wood Doors and Woodgrain doors, all bring true craftsmanship adaptable to any commercial job.
Doors probably make one of the largest statements when entering a commercial building. Optimizing solid wood core doors for sound, stability, whether you’re in the market for architectural flush door components, fire-proof door components, commercial stile and rail door components, or fire-proof door light kits, all are critical for a sound commercial environment. Manufacturers that produce strong, consistent, and environmentally-friendly products will prevail well into the future.
Quality attributes of wood for your next commercial project are many. Here’s just a few to think about when planning your next commercial project.
Primarily with flooring but not exclusive to it are the following potential list of attributes to choosing a wood floor:
Environmental Considerations—FSC certification grows. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification ensures that the wood harvested for the flooring is done legally and sustainably. It certifies that the wood comes from responsibly-managed forest. FSC aims to provide environmentally friendly flooring solution for your home or business. Wood products that are made with reclaimed wood or come with the FSC certification means the wood is being consciously harvested in a manner conducive to maintaining all the species currently living in the forest, and harvesting in a manner which causes no other negative environmental impacts. Typically any prefinished prod provide durability to the floors without posing undue harm to your health. Many options have obtained GreenGuard certification for low emissions. With FSC flooring, you can give your floors a fresh and polished look while keeping the environment safer for people and wildlife.
Durability. Choose the correct floor to match or exceed your objectives. With all the wood flooring products available today, there’s a lot more to determine than just the color when choosing a floor. If overall hardness is key look at the Janga charts to help guide you to the correct species. If low maintenance is a priority, look at the finishes used, the pattern and composition of the floor. Choosing a prefinished product may provide a superior wear layer for high traffic areas. On the other hand, it’s hard to argue with a sand and finished onsite ¾-in. solid floor. Knowing your customers and asking all the right questions will get you to the perfect floor.
Highest resale value. Wood not only retains its original cost but adds value over the years to come. With a proper maintenance program designed for traffic your floor will see, decades can go by before the thought of replacement is ever discussed.
Esthetics. It’s hard to argue with the look that wood surfaces provide. The depth and warmth of wood has ingrained our very souls with the comfort of knowing it’s real, it’s recyclable, it’s environmentally safe and very long lasting.
As complex as commercial build projects have become, it’s nice to know there’s still wood to fall back on. Give it a chance where applicable on your next project, and then get ready for the praise.
