Memphis, TN, February 9--Hardwood flooring shipments reached nearly 673,000,000 board feet in 2004, the highest level for shipments since 1966, according to NOFMA: The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association.
The 2004 shipments level (672,805,000 board feet) reflects a steady upward trend in flooring shipments that has been ongoing since 1991. NOFMA attributes the strong numbers to enduring popularity of wood floors and the continued strength of new home construction and residential remodeling.
In 1966, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) approved the use of wall-to-wall carpeting in new home construction, an event that contributed significantly to a near 85% decline in strip flooring shipment levels over the next 10 years (654,368,000 in 1966 to 98,755,000 in 1975). A series of recessions, coupled with extremely high interest rates, kept flooring markets depressed until the early 1980s, when they began to recover.
A recent survey of real estate agents commissioned by the Hardwood Council, a hardwood industry marketing coalition, indicated that hardwood flooring can add $7,000 - 10,000 to a home’s resale value (http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/). That, in turn, helps to explain why a 2004 survey of wood flooring contractors by Hardwood Floors Magazine, indicated that 71% of wood floor related work was remodeling projects, while the remaining 29% was in new construction.
NOFMA also believes the trend toward green, or environmentally friendlier, building practices have helped fuel demand for wood. More and more consumers, builders, and architects are using hardwood flooring because of its environmental attributes. Like all wood products, hardwood flooring comes from a renewable resource, making it inherently sustainable.
Wood flooring is also a significant contributor to improved indoor air quality and reduced allergens. Some 60 million Americans suffer from allergies and vacuuming does not eliminate the dust mites, dander and other contaminants that are trapped in carpets and released into the air when the carpet is disturbed.
