There's no need to abandon a love of wood floors in an effort to "go green." Reclaimed wood floors--salvaged from Industrial Revolution-era mills and factories, barns, piers, and other structures--offer homeowners a way to do their part for the environment without compromising on style or durability.

Once discovered -- often in buildings that have stood idle for decades -- these seasoned woods are procured, milled, and prepared for reuse in residential and commercial spaces.

Environmentalists talk about our ecological "footprint" or the amount of impact each person's actions have on the natural world. When a homeowner reduces consumption of new building materials, that footprint shrinks considerably:

* Less demolition or "teardown" waste that clogs the nation's landfills.

* Old-growth and virgin forests are preserved.

* Less energy is expended to make raw building materials.

* Fewer chemicals are used in producing and finishing your floor.

* Regional or national shipping emits less carbon than global shipping of products such as new hardwood, imported bamboo or cork.

Of course, the environmental advantages are only part of the appeal. Like fine wine, good wood improves with age. After decades in place, the fibers of heavy oak beams and gleaming heart pine floorboards have compressed, adding strength to what are already extremely stable building materials.

Old wood typically comes from factories, mills and barns that were originally built with timber sawn from slow-growth forests, especially those in the cooler climate of the U.S. Northeast, where cold winters result in denser tree rings and harder timber. Timber harvested today, on the other hand, often comes from second- or third-generation forests and are simply not as robust.

Bamboo and cork are sustainable flooring options, but they are made from grass and bark, respectively, not wood. And although they come in almost any color you can imagine -- not just blond and caramel but also, for example, cobalt blue and fire-engine red -- they don't suit everyone's taste.

"With reclaimed wood, there's no reason to gild the lily," says Willie Drake, founder of Mountain Lumber Company, which has reclaimed wood since 1974. "We don't need to stain our wood. The rich patina and deep, natural color of each of these boards fill them with character, enhancing both traditional interiors and contemporary settings."

Which is to say, "antique" wood is not just for antique lovers. From its headquarters in Ruckersville, Virginia, Mountain Lumber Company has supplied antique flooring for modern loft apartments in New York, rustic ski retreats in Colorado and airy beach houses on the South Carolina coast.

"Salvaging these extraordinary structural elements is my life's work," says Drake, whose company is known for finding, procuring, and milling the finest antique wood in the world.  Even so, Drake did not set out to do things "green," he says. "I just loved the wood."

For more information visit www.MountainLumber.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent