There is a lot of talk in the media these days about green building, but how can consumers improve the environmental footprint of their homes or businesses once the construction is already completed? Even more puzzling, how can a consumer have any impact on a home or business that was built multiple decades ago, before environmental issues were even a real concern?One of the easiest and most affordable ways to improve the environmental footprint of an existing structure is through green design. It does not take much time, money, or effort to introduce just a few small improvements to a structure’s green profile. Some examples include repurposing existing furniture by refinishing it with low-VOC paints and stains to give it an entirely new look, replacing incandescent lighting with energy-efficient compact fluorescent light sources, or bringing live plants indoors to improve the indoor air quality of the structure. These kinds of updates to an indoor space are easily accomplished by even the most novice do-it-yourself decorators, but there are other post-construction changes that can be made to impact a structure’s green profile even more dramatically.Replacing old, worn-out and outdated flooring materials like carpet and linoleum can be a huge step toward improving the environmental profile of a structure. Many older flooring products contain hazardous materials like formaldehyde, which are toxic. Some research indicates that there are 120 known toxins in carpet alone, which come from fibers, backing, and even the stain resistance products that are added to protect the materials, and that it can take 10 or more years for these chemicals to completely off-gas (www.healthyhomebuilder.com). Even the products consumers use to clean carpets can contain toxins, which simply prolongs exposure. Carpets also can harbor dust, animal dander, mold, pollen, pesticides, and other hazardous materials that are trapped in its fibers. Even daily vacuuming cannot eliminate these hazardous materials completely.Wood floors can offer an environmentally friendly flooring alternative. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, wood floors do not harbor allergens, microorganisms or harmful pesticides that can be tracked in from outdoors. In addition, dust, mold and animal dander contamination is minimal in homes and businesses with wood floors, which means that they can improve indoor air quality significantly. Wood floors also sequester carbon dioxide during their service life, which means that they keep harmful airborne elements out of the atmosphere.Sustainability is a huge benefit of wood floors as well. Wood floors are the only flooring option that is manufactured from a raw material that can be replaced time and time again – trees. Trees are produced in a factory called a forest using a renewable source of energy called the sun, and contrary to some of the negative commentary from extremist environmental groups, there are more trees in existence today than there were in the 1950s according to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. What is even more impactful is that for every tree harvested in the US, 1.6 more are planted in its place, and while it may take 40-50 years for those new trees to mature, the wood will not be needed for another 50 years. How is that so? A study by the National Association of Home Builders ranked how long things last in construction projects. Wood floors were rated at 100+ years, so the trees planted today will mature by 2063, but won’t be needed until 2113. And during that time, they contribute oxygen to the atmosphere while consuming carbon dioxide.Wood floors also minimize landfill waste. Unlike other flooring options that need to be replaced over time, wood floors are a flooring alternative that can be renewed time and time again. Think about it…wood floors have been a part of our lives for centuries, and many of the wood floors that were installed hundreds of years ago are still beautiful today. With a process called pad and recoat, wood floors can renewed to their original luster without sanding, much like furniture can be renewed with a new coat of paint or stain. If sanding is necessary, that can be done numerous times during the life of the floor. This saves time, money and natural resources. No other flooring option even comes close.The bottom line is that green design does not have to be expensive or time-consuming, but it can improve the environmental footprint of existing structures significantly. Wood floors are an important element of green design providing long-term environmental benefits, along with long-term value. Learn more about the benefits of wood floors from the National Wood Flooring Association at www.woodfloors.org.The National Wood Flooring Association is a not-for-profit trade organization, with more than 2,600 member companies world-wide, dedicated to educating consumers, architects, designers, specifiers and builders in the uses and benefits of wood flooring. The NWFA can be contacted at 800.422.4556 (USA & Canada), 636.519.9663 (local and international), or on-line at www.nwfa.org.