Tropical Hardwood: Understandably Popular Flooring that Lasts a Lifetime

The massive popularity of hardwood flooring in the UK and around the world, as well as the massive growth therein, is evidenced in the massive growth in tropical hardwood investment products over the past few years.

Demand for tropical hardwoods has multiplied nearly 25 times in the last four decades as global populations expand. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation consumption of industrial wood will rise a further 60% over the next 25 years.

Tropical hardwood investments are highly lucrative, because the demand for tropical hardwood flooring continues to grow massively, whilst the supply will always be limited by the very nature of the beast.

It is little wonder then, that a growing number of individuals, endowments and pension funds are including tropical hardwood products as a hard asset in their portfolios, including Harvard University, which has invested 12% ($500million this year) of its endowment fund in timber.

Bringing it back to flooring, the following species used in popular wood-flooring products are tropical hardwood species:

• Walnut
• Cherry
• Mahogany
• Redwood
• Chestnut
• Tigerwood
• Teak
• and more

Tropical hardwood floors are some of the most striking in appearance and hard-wearing of all wood flooring products, as you can see from the images of Tuscan American Black Walnut flooring here.

Unfortunately they are also some of the most expensive, but in terms of value for money, there are few wood species as strong as tropical hardwood species.

Tropical hardwood is used in solid wood flooring products only, and these floors will last a lifetime if properly looked after. These are the kinds of floors that are frequently reclaimed in Victorian houses etc, because they will just last forever – again, if properly looked after.

Another great thing about tropical hardwood and solid wood flooring is that the look can be changed. Initially varnish can be applied, and then, because the wood is so strong, the varnish can be sanded down and a new, different shade of varnish applied, changing the look of the floor.

If you are in the market for wood flooring, and want a floor that will last a lifetime, and possibly add value to your property, then tropical hardwood, and some other types of solid wood flooring is the way to go.