British Timber Reduces Allergens In Your Home

base of vacuum cleaner attachment showing dust allergens collected  from wood flooring. Emphasising how British timber reduces allergies in you home

What is a more natural product than sustainably sourced homegrown British timber. We are all concerned about the environment we live in and even more so about the air quality circulating within our homes.  With the increased use of plastics many of us want to use natural products for our home and furnishings.  We sustainably source all our timber from woodlands throughout the UK.

Why Wood Floors?

Carpeting harbours smells dust and with dust comes dust mites. This tiny parasite is the main cause of allergies and definitely affects the quality or the air in our homes.   It is particularly bad news for asthma sufferers and people who with allergy issues.  Poor air quality causes shortness of breath, itchy eyes, headaches and congestion. Opting for wood flooring either engineered or solid is a much more hygienic option.   Flooring takes up a huge percentage of the area within our homes so it makes sense to choose flooring that reduces the cause of dust.

Reducing Allergens – Benefits of Wood Flooring

No Dust Mites: Dust mites have a hard time surviving on wood floors because these surfaces lack the warm, fibrous environment that they prefer. This means fewer dust mites in your home, reducing the chances of triggering an allergic reaction.

No Trapped Pet Allergens: With wood floors, pet hair, etc allergens are not trapped as in carpet fibres. Any pet allergens that end up on the floor are easily cleaned, preventing them becoming airborne and being inhaled.

No Mould Growth: Wood floors don’t hold onto moisture like carpets do, so they don’t provide an ideal environment for mould and mildew to grow. If you live in a particularly humid area or are concerned about spills, consider choosing a hardwood like teak or white oak, which have natural resistance to water.

In addition, wood floors are straightforward to clean. To keep your flooring looking its best just sweep or vacuum regularly with occasional mopping. This ease of cleaning helps maintain a low-allergen environment.

Any hardwood flooring such as oak, ash, elm is an excellent choice.  The hardness of the wood means that dust mites have no where to accumulate and multiply.  That said, it doesn’t mean you won’t get dust. However, any that does appear just remove easily by brushing with a soft cloth or vacuuming.

So what are the basic differences between solid and engineered timber flooring?

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Boards cut from the trunk of the tree. Kiln dried to the correct moisture level to allows fitting as flooring into your home. 

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered boards are composed of a single top layer of hardwood and glued to a birch plywood base.  Easy to lay and very easy to keep clean.

Sustainably sourced British timber is readily available. Be safe in the knowledge that you are not only improving your immediate environment.   By buying from responsible timber merchants you are also maintaining and protecting our natural environment too.

Take a look at our range of wood flooring options on our website and get ideas and inspiration from our blog and portfolio sections.

Author photo for Ben Sutton

About the author

Ben Sutton has established himself as independent hardwood timber merchant and supplier with a solid reputation built up over the last 20 years. He is committed to providing a bespoke and professional service to his clients at all times, whilst maintaining the highest quality product. Follow Ben on LinkedIn.