Sustainable, earth-friendly flooring
Our commitment to ecological balance
Vermont Plank Flooring is committed to sustaining our valuable forests and maintaining the earth’s precious ecosystem for generations to come. Striving for ecological balance makes sense on many levels. From a business perspective, we rely on the earth’s bounty for our products, so it is in our best interest to be stewards of the planet.
From a broader, ethical perspective, we believe it is our duty to champion our planet’s health by minimizing our impact however we can, and by working exclusively with forest owners and material suppliers who can be trusted to do the same. It’s simply the right thing to do — for our business, for the quality of our products, for the earth, and for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.
Taking the long view
The original inhabitants of New England, the Iroquois, practiced a "Great Law" that urged the current generation to live their lives with the well-being of their descendants seven generations in the future in mind. Taking that long view is difficult in today’s world, where technology has compelled speed, comfort, and immediate gratification to become the norm. But for those who work in the forest — who work with trees and the wood they produce – keeping an eye 150 years ahead has a natural clarity and sensibility to it. Seven generations do not seem quite so distant when observing a stand of trees imperceptibly gaining stature and girth over the better part of a century.
At Vermont Plank Flooring, we keep one eye on the future by creating floors meant to last a century or longer. That’s important to us. Durable products reduce the need for replacement, and thereby reduce the quantity of material that ends up in the landfill.
A commitment to sustainable forrestry practices
We keep another eye on the future by sourcing our lumber from woodlot owners who commit to sustainable forestry management practices. Harvesting selectively cut, mature trees provides us with the highest quality raw material from which to mill our flooring, a critical starting point for a spectacular finished product.
Those practices also sustain the health of the forest, allowing for the regeneration of the woodlot and the ecosystems woven within it, and safeguarding high-quality raw materials for decades and generations to come. That’s why it’s called sustainability.
Minimizing our footprint
At Vermont Plank Flooring we continually strive to reduce our ecological footprint. We source our raw materials from as close to our mill as possible, thereby reducing trucking emissions. We actively source and sell flooring milled from reclaimed materials harvested from homes and buildings scheduled for demolition. We recycle and actively seek ways to reduce our waste.
And we are proud to be powered 100 percent by our own 317-kilowatt rooftop solar array.
✩✩✩ Certifiably Eco-Conscious
Vermont Plank Flooring’s products meet, surpass, or contribute to several nationally and internationally recognized green certifications and standards.
Forest Stewardship Council
100%
Timber from well-managed forests.
F S C C 1 7 1 1 7 5
The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) is an international nonprofit that promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. Vermont Plank is fully certified by the FSC® for both newly sawn and reclaimed millwork. We happily source FSC Certified material on request. Our newly sawn floors come exclusively from sustainably managed forests in the Northeast. Our reclaimed floors come from 100-to-200-year-old structures destined for demolition - generally mills, farmhouses, and barns.
California Air Resource Board
CARB2 COMPLIANCE TESTING
TEST METHOD: ASTM D6007-14
Conducted by Capital Testing, Sterling, VA.
Conducted: September 21, 2020
The California Air Resource Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. It was established with the purpose of maintaining and improving air quality, and researching the causes and solutions of air pollution, both indoors and out.
California Air Resources Board Phase II (CARB II) strictly addresses allowable maximum levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen often used in adhesives for composite wood products in the flooring industry. Vermont Plank Flooring’s engineered flooring products (our only products for which CARB II is applicable) exceed CARB II Compliance Standards. Test Results reported by Capital Testing and Certification Services (formerly HPVA Laboratories) indicate a Value of BLQ, Below the Limit of Quantitation, less than 0.008 ppm. Compliance with the CARB II mandate denotes meeting the highest standards of indoor air quality.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative ®
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management. The SFI program involves organizations across the supply chain — from forest managers to manufacturers to distributors to printers. Vermont Plank Flooring is proudly SFI Certified for chain-of-custody management. Choosing certified sustainable forest products is a great way to protect species, combat climate change, reduce plastic pollution, and protect water supplies.
Greenguard Gold
Greenguard Certification Standard for Building Materials, Finishes, and Furnishings includes health-based criteria for indoor spaces. Products bearing Greenguard certification meet strict emission limits for chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The protective coatings and finishes used in much of the flooring industry can set off indoor air-quality alarm bells. At Vermont Plank Flooring, our Aluminum Oxide Machine-Finishes are Greenguard Certified, so you can breathe easy.
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), provides guidelines for creating environmentally-friendly residential and commercial structures. The use of Vermont Plank’s reclaimed wood flooring contributes to the criteria for LEED Certification, as can many of our newly sawn hardwood planks, depending on the specific details and location of the project.
Sustainability Is Part of Quality
At Vermont Plank Flooring, we strive for quality in everything we do. Our products are highly functional and exceedingly beautiful, which is enough for most companies to proclaim their superiority. But we believe that a quality product, like a stable stool, requires the critical third leg of sustainability. Because if that beautiful and functional product only lasts a few weeks, or poisons you when you use it, or creates damage to the environment when produced, it is difficult to argue that it is truly excellent. When you purchase flooring from Vermont Plank Flooring, you know you are getting an incomparable product of the highest quality – exquisitely beautiful, superbly functional, and exceptionally sustainable.
Our History
Read about Vermont Plank Flooring's Story
