The New Must-Have / Flooring for a Sustainable Future?

When considering a sustainable building or development project, it’s often easy to overlook some of the more basic elements of a construction.

Flooring is one such element where its commonplace for flooring to be imported from far-flung places where preserving endangered rainforests, cutting down on transportation miles and the carbon footprint and is not high on the agenda.

One such example is a partnership between one of Cornwall’s most famous estates and a bespoke flooring specialist.

Aspen and Ash, of Redruth, is working with Lord Falmouth’s Tregothnan Estate to produce a limited supply of Cornish Oak engineered flooring.

The Tregothnan Estate sought to sustainably manage its historic woodlands, and so was delighted to help produce beautiful oak and olive ash flooring using trees felled as part of the natural thinning process.

Another source of sustainable, and beautiful, flooring that homeowners might want to consider is reclaimed flooring. This flooring usually comes from large building projects where a substantial building is being demolished and the timbers are ‘rescued’.

One such example was was the Smurfitt Kappa factory, in Thurrock, that was being demolished by Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

The wood there was mature 70-year-old Douglas Fir, that made for stunning Dinesen-style flooring and is now being utilised as luxury flooring across the UK – lending the wood that would have otherwise been burned, a new lease of life.

Not only does reclaimed timber benefit the environment, wood from older structures is sourced from mature trees, living it hardiness and character. This timber is durable, having already stood the test of time.

So when consider a new-build or development in Cornwall, take a moment to think about the very ground you walk upon.

This blog was provided by Aspen & Ash