What is a PEFC-certified wooden floor?

In today’s construction industry, the responsible sourcing of materials is a key consideration. When selecting and using wooden flooring or floorboards, wood from sustainably managed forests and certified products are also becoming increasingly important. Architects and planners face the challenge of finding solutions that are functional, aesthetically appealing and resource-efficient. Certifications play an important role in this context, helping to guide material selection while supporting environmental and social responsibility.

In this blog post, we explain the standards behind the PEFC label and the benefits of choosing certified wood products.

 

Why Are Sustainability Certifications Important?

Certifications such as PEFC provide a trusted framework for ensuring that wood comes from sustainable sources. They stand for responsible forest management and ensure that the wood used for products comes from forests that meet defined environmental, social and economic standards.

Regular audits are part of the certification process and ensure that the entire supply chain complies with PEFC standards. This not only helps ensure the quality of a wooden floor, but also compliance with legal requirements and international standards.

 

Benefits for Architects and Planners

Sustainability certifications are highly valuable for architects and planners. Here are some of the key advantages when selecting sustainable plank flooring:

• Certifications provide architects and designers with the knowledge needed to make informed choices about sustainable materials for their projects. They offer clear information about the origin and environmental standards of plank flooring.
• Certified products undergo rigorous inspections. This means that certified plank flooring is generally of high quality and meets the demands of modern construction projects.
• The use of certified materials helps promote responsible forestry, benefiting future generations. Architects and planners have the opportunity to actively contribute to the preservation of forests and biodiversity.

 

What is the PEFC seal and what standards are behind the certification?

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) is the world’s largest independent certification system for sustainable forestry. Wood products bearing the PEFC seal are proven to come from ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable forest management. In practice, sustainable forestry under PEFC standards means:

• Ensuring that no more wood is harvested than can naturally regrow in the forest. Forest owners and experts foster the development of climate-resilient forests, contributing significantly to climate protection.
• Sustainable forestry not only protects bodies of water, drinking water resources, and soils, but also improves air quality and helps mitigate climate change.
• Important habitats within forests, such as deadwood that serves as a home for rare species of plants and animals, are preserved. During logging, care is taken to avoid damage to neighboring trees and the soil.
• Forests are not converted into plantations, and genetically modified trees are not planted.
• The highest safety standards for forestry workers are a top priority, as well as the protection of workers’ rights, including fair wages.
• Special attention is given to the social needs and rights of people living in or around the forests.
• Certified forestry ensures that the valuable raw material, wood, comes from legal and sustainable sources, with full traceability.

 

Our Commitment to Sustainability

We use exclusively wood from sustainably managed forests for our floorboards, as confirmed by PEFC certification. This certification applies to our solid wood floorboards and engineered floorboards, as well as to the complete Chain of Custody, covering the entire value chain.

We believe that using certified materials makes an important contribution to creating more responsible building projects. By choosing PEFC-certified wooden floors, you not only contribute to the quality of your project but also take environmental considerations into account.

Conclusion

The use of sustainably certified materials is an important step towards more environmentally conscious construction. Architects and planners who choose PEFC-certified wood products can be confident that they are making responsible choices that benefit both the environment and society.