AT EUROPEAN WOOD COMPANY WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THE OUR FORESTS AND OUR CUSTOMERS. OUR WOOD IS SOURCED FROM RESPONSIBLY MANAGED FORESTS IN FRANCE AND OUR 9-PLY BACKING IS SOURCED FROM SPECIFIC COMPANIES THAT COMPLY WITH OUR GREEN COMMITMENT. WHEN IT COMES TO ADHESIVE’S WE STRIVE TO USE THE MOST ECO-FRIENDLY ADHESIVES AND FINISHES AVAILABLE.
FORESTS
All of European Wood Company’s raw material comes from verified legal, selectively harvested forestry operations. We source wood only from French Forrest, where forestry laws are strict and well-enforced, and from rubber, and eucalyptus plantations, where the wood is salvaged after the trees no longer produce latex, and Eucalyptus. (Rubberwood, aka Hevea, is dense and extremely stable, providing an excellent substrate for some of our collections.)
Certifications
For those customers who prefer independent third-party verification that the purchase of their floor supports responsible forestry practices, we offer products certified by a non-profit organization, the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC). We also offer Floor Score Certified flooring. FSC-certified flooring and Floor score- certified flooring are available by Special Order and is not available on all items. Please inquire for specifics and lead times.
HENKEL ADHESIVES
At the European Wood Company, we believe that protecting our customer’s indoor air quality is a moral obligation. All European Wood Company products are made with ‘No Added Urea-Formaldehyde’ (NAUF), and are of course CARB Phase II compliant, easily meeting the CARB standard of 0.05ppm. Our lumber-core collections are made exclusively with a formaldehyde-free adhesive (NAF). Most of European Wood Companies collections, including all of our unfinished products, are FloorScore certified. FloorScore is a third-party certification system that tests for a wide range of VOC’s. We are confident that all of our products already meet the FloorScore standards and are in the process of attaining that certification on the few remaining collections that are not yet certified. Please check the individual product Specification Sheet for details.
While we are careful to ensure that all of our factories are using the latest in zero-VOC and ultra-low-VOC adhesives, we also take the extra step of conducting periodic tests on random samples from our inventory, which we send to certified American test laboratories. We are proud of the steps we take to ensure the health of our customers and are happy to provide copies of those test reports upon request.
COATINGS
European Wood Company uses two types of coatings, each with different environmental attributes:
- UV-Cured Urethane – All urethane finishes are made with petroleum-based ingredients, but because they are 100% solids and are cured in ultra-violet ovens at the factory, UV urethanes are completely inert and will not off-gas at all in the home. European Wood Company uses the most technologically advanced urethane finish systems available, from companies like Bona of Sweden and Treffert of Germany. UV urethane finishes can be cleaned with odourless, solvent-free cleaners.
- UV-Cured Oil – Not to be confused with traditional oil-based (solvent-based) finishes, UV Cured Oil finishes made primarily with renewable natural ingredients such as sunflower oil, soy oil, and carnauba wax. These finishes contain little or no petroleum-based ingredients. Like UV-cured urethanes, UV-cured oils will not off-gas in the home. UV-cured oils are maintained with the same zero-VOC cleaning and maintenance products as Oxidative Natural Oils. While some of the products used for periodic maintenance may have mild odours, the Woca products recommended by European Wood Company are VOC-free. Woca (Denmark) is a recognized leader in the manufacture of natural oil wood finishes.