WHY BUY BRAZILIAN CHERRY FLOORING?
Brief History
Characteristics
Environmental
Advantage
Value
Wood Floors are Time Tested for Good Reasons
A wood floor in homes, condominiums, apartments, office buildings, and shopping malls is nothing new. As far back as most people can remember, wood has been readily available and a widely preferred material for flooring. Among other outstanding traits, wood flooring is historically affordable. Further, wood is a renewable material that is easy to clean, and does not collect or hold dirt, airborne dust, mold, and other harmful respiratory irritants. Another reason wood floors have passed the test of time is that they simply look so attractive.
About Brazilian Cherry as Flooring
Few wood species used as flooring carry the uniqueness, beauty, and natural durability of Brazilian Cherry. You are unlikely to find an oak, maple, or pine wood floor, used for any length of time, without plenty of unattractive scars. The dents, scratches, and depressions caused by high-heeled shoes, furniture legs, toys, and pets come too easily with normal wear. This is not the case with Brazilian Cherry. Oak, maple, American cherry, walnut and pine are softer woods than Brazilian Cherry. In fact, Brazilian Cherry’s hardness is almost 3 times that of pine, and double that of oak and maple (See Janka Hardness Tables). Although Brazilian Cherry may also suffer damage by any of the means previously mentioned, it is much more resistant to all of them, and keeps its original beauty without extra protection. Brazilian Cherry ages like fine art, and most believe it is most attractive even after years of regular use.
Brazilian Cherry is among the most durable and available wood species used for wood flooring today. Throughout Brazil and South America many boat docks, piers and bridges remain in use after more than a century of service. Today, these are as straight and sturdy as when first erected because of Brazilian Cherry’s inherent lateral and lengthwise stability. Brazilian Cherry needs no added preservation because of natural oils and decay resistant characteristics inherent in its chemical make-up. Many outside decks and large coastal boardwalks around the world are built from Brazilian Cherry because of its natural beauty, stability, and durability.
Environmental Impact
Brazilian Cherry is one of the most controlled and regulated wood species harvested in all the world, especially in Brazil. Ibama, Brazil’s governing equivalent to Untied States Environmental Protection Agency, strictly oversees Brazilian Cherry’s longevity and insures its long-term availability. The protective deforestation laws of the United States and Canada do not compare with the strong control and enforcement measures taken in Brazil. In fact, no clear cutting (complete removal of all timber in an area) is allowed in Brazil. Before an individual tree can even be harvested in Brazil, it must be marked with an approval tag issued by Brazil’s Ibama. By law, tags must remain with the log throughout harvest processing where it is sawn into its final raw form, such as boards to be used to produce flooring. After milling, tags must then be presented to the Brazilian authorities to prove how the harvest was used. The United States and Canada have no such controls. In addition, each every tree to be harvested must have a diameter of 26” wide or greater when measured at 48” above the ground. This requirement prevents the harvesting of any under aged trees. Compare this to the typical average 12” diameter oak, maple or pine tree cut down in the United States or Canada. Further, Brazilian law forbids cutting more than 5% of the trees in any approved area in any single year. This limit means that it will take at least 20 years to harvest the trees in any single area. This adds stability to the supply and helps assure availability long into the future without the fear of exhausting the species. Again, the United States and Canada have no such controls.
Brazilian environmental penalties are severe and costly to violators. As an example, individuals or companies caught evading the harvesting laws, are subject to immediate forfeiture and seizure of all assets including bank accounts, factories, equipment, automobiles, and other property. Further, they face immediate jail time without bail until a trial is held, and fines of up to $1,000,000 for every tree illegally harvested. The United States and Canada have no such penalties.
To the credit of many environmental groups, and perhaps surprising to some, Brazil has some of the strictest environmental laws and enforcement practices of any country in the world today.
In Search of the Perfect Flooring
Within in the last 20 years homeowners, designers, homebuilders, residential and commercial developers have searched for better flooring alternatives among different types of hardwood. Advantages sought include uniqueness, beauty, hardness, durability, stability of shape, and of course, a steady supply that is renewable. All of these preferred characteristics assure that a wood floor will provide great value and longevity. It will not need replacement because of normal wear, nor will it rot like so many other wood species or carpets.
Brazilian Cherry’s Coveted Status
In a region of the world renowned for it high quality wood, Brazilian Cherry remains long recognized as a much-preferred species of wood for all types of construction in Brazil, and throughout South America. Brazilian Cherry is used to produce fine furniture, decorative stairways, and exclusive flooring used in many of the finest homes, government buildings, and the most modern shopping centers in all of South America.
Many of today’s wood flooring consumers are choosing Brazilian Cherry because of it unique, warm and beautiful light reddish and cherry tones. These color tones compliment nearly any interior, and are specified by many of today’s most trusted architectural firms and high-end interior designers. Others prefer Brazilian Cherry simply because it sets their interior apart from the more common looking oak, maple, or pine floors of their friends and neighbors.
Enhanced Home Look and Value Too
A Brazilian Cherry hardwood floor not only enhances the beauty of any interior decor, it ranks among the wisest wood flooring investments you can make, not to mention the home improvement value.
The Best Value in Brazilian Cherry
The price of Brazilian Cherry from The Floor Warehouse is comparable to domestic wood flooring options like oak, maple, pine, beech, American cherry, walnut, and others. This is partially due to the high volume we import and sell wholesale to the public, and partially because of our low operating costs. You get some of the finest quality Brazilian Cherry hardwood too. Also, dollar for dollar, an investment in Brazilian Cherry from The Floor Warehouse could very well increase the value of any home over those of similar size, quality, and location. Unless, of course they also used Brazilian Cherry hardwood flooring purchased from TheFloorWarehouse.com!
Thank you for your interest in Brazilian Cherry hardwood flooring. Moreover, thank you for considering TheFloorWarehouse.com as your source for the finest solid hardwood flooring at true wholesale direct pricing. If you have any other questions or if we can help you in any way please call TOLL FREE 1-800-717-0441 or contact us at www.TheFloorWarehouse.com.
