Eco-flooring saves wood by following trees’ natural curves

Eco-conscious alternatives to traditional wooden flooring typically rely upon cork or other non-hardwood materials for their sustainability. A new Dutch innovation, however, earns its green credentials by cutting floorboards in such a way as to follow the hardwood’s natural curves. Aiming to bring to the mass market what it says has long been the domain of a few dedicated craftsmen, Bolefloor manufactures solid oak flooring with curved lengths that follow a tree’s natural growth. One result of the technique is that no two Bolefloors are alike. In addition, Bolefloor claims that their wood scanning systems, tailor-made CAD/CAM developments and innovative optimization algorithms allow more floors to be created from the same amount of wood. Bolefloor manages and tracks each board from its raw-lumber stage through to final installation. Pricing, the company says, is “not considerably more than today’s fine wood flooring.” Bolefloor’s dealer list will be published in April; in the meantime, it’s seeking partners around the world. One to help bring to eco-minded consumers in your neck of the woods? (Related: One tree planted for each wooden watch sold — At Vermont workshop, make your own hyperlocal dinner table.) Spotted by: Martin Poltimäe