What FSC Certification Means for Wood Flooring

When you choose wood flooring, you’re not just making a style statement - you’re making a choice that impacts the planet. One of the best ways to ensure your flooring is environmentally responsible is to look for the FSC logo.

But what exactly does FSC Certification mean, and why is it so important when buying wood flooring?

What is FSC Certification?

FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forest management worldwide. Their certification ensures that wood products, including flooring, come from forests that are managed in a way that protects biodiversity, respects the rights of local communities and workers, and maintains the forest’s ecological balance.

When you see the FSC label, it means the wood can be traced all the way back to responsibly managed forests through a process called the Chain of Custody. This transparency guarantees that your flooring comes from legal, sustainable sources.

Why is FSC Certification Important for Wood Flooring?

1. Protects forests and wildlife – FSC-certified forests are managed to preserve habitats and protect endangered species, ensuring biodiversity is maintained for generations to come.

2. Supports sustainable forestry – Trees are harvested at a rate that allows the forest to regenerate naturally, ensuring a long-term supply of timber without depleting resources.

3. Respects local communities and workers – The FSC standard ensures fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and forest-dependent communities.

4. Guarantees legally sourced wood – FSC certification helps combat illegal logging, which threatens forests and communities worldwide.

FSC Certification and Flooring

When you choose FSC-certified wood flooring, you’re getting more than just a beautiful, durable surface - you’re supporting a system that safeguards forests, wildlife, and people. Whether it’s engineered wood, solid wood, or herringbone designs, FSC certification ensures that the materials in your floor meet the highest environmental and ethical standards.

At Natura Flooring, all our European oak and walnut is FSC-certified and sourced responsibly from forests in Europe. Every plank is then crafted in Italy in partnership with Florian, combining sustainability with exceptional craftsmanship.

The FSC Difference

By choosing FSC-certified flooring, you’re making a conscious decision to invest in both quality and the planet’s future. You can enjoy the elegance and warmth of real wood flooring, knowing it’s been sourced and produced with care for the environment and the people who help create it.

You can browse our full range of FSC certified wood flooring here.

source https://naturaflooring.co.uk/blogs/news/what-fsc-certification-means-for-wood-flooring

Engineered Wood Flooring vs Solid Wood Flooring: What’s the Difference?

Quick Links

What is Solid Wood Flooring?

What is Engineered Wood Flooring?

Comparing Prices

Which Is Easier to Install?

Which Is More Sustainable and Eco-Friendly?

Which Is More Durable - Engineered or Solid Wood Flooring?

Conclusion - Which Is Best?

Choosing the perfect wood flooring for your property can be a tough. Two of the most popular options on the market today are engineered wood flooring and solid wood flooring. Both offer natural beauty and lasting value - but each has its own unique benefits, making them better suited to different needs and environments.

Here's a closer look at how they compare…

What is Solid Wood Flooring?

Solid wood flooring is made from a single piece of hardwood, such as oak or walnut. Each plank is cut from a solid log, giving it a traditional and authentic look and feel.

Product: Natura Reclaimed Solid Oak Flooring 140/18mm

Solid wood floors are known for their rich character, natural variation, and ability to be sanded and refinished multiple times over their lifetime.

Solid wood flooring is best for:

• Period homes and traditional interiors
• Long-term investment and classic aesthetic
• Areas with minimal humidity and temperature changes

What is Engineered Wood Flooring?

Engineered wood flooring is made from a top layer of real hardwood bonded to multiple layers of plywood or high-density fibreboard (HDF).

Product: Natura Amarone Oak Engineered Wood Flooring 13/3mm

This layered construction gives engineered wood greater stability, making it less prone to expansion, contraction, or warping due to temperature or moisture changes. Despite its structure, it looks and feels just like solid wood.

Engineered wood flooring is best for:

• Modern homes and renovations
• Rooms with underfloor heating
• Areas where humidity levels fluctuate, like kitchens or basements

Comparing Engineered Wood Prices to Solid Wood Flooring Prices

Solid wood flooring is generally more expensive than engineered wood. This is due to the cost of raw materials and the fact that each plank is made from 100% hardwood. Engineered wood, while still high in quality, uses less solid timber and is more efficient to produce, making it a more budget-friendly option - especially for large projects.

Which Is Easier to Install?

Engineered wood flooring is typically much easier to install. Many ranges use a modern click-lock system (like the 5G® Fold Down System used in The Family Floor), which allows for quick, glue-free installation.

It can also be installed as a floating floor over existing surfaces. Solid wood, on the other hand, often requires professional installation using nails or glue and more precise subfloor preparation.

Which Is More Sustainable and Eco-Friendly?

Engineered wood flooring is often considered the more sustainable choice. Because it uses a thin hardwood top layer over a core made of fast-growing, renewable materials like plywood, it maximises the yield from each tree.

At Natura Flooring, both our engineered and solid wood floors are FSC-certified and made using clean energy, but engineered options make more efficient use of natural resources and produce less waste during manufacturing.

Which Is More Durable - Engineered or Solid Wood Flooring?

Both solid and engineered wood flooring are highly durable - but in different ways. Solid wood is extremely hard-wearing and can be sanded and refinished multiple times over its lifetime.

However, solid hardwood flooring is more sensitive to changes in humidity, which can lead to warping or cupping in unstable environments.

Engineered wood is more stable, making it a better choice for rooms with temperature fluctuations or underfloor heating.

While it can usually be sanded once or twice (depending on the thickness of the top layer), high-quality engineered flooring - like ours made with European oak and birch plywood - offers excellent longevity and resilience, even in busy households.

Conclusion - Which Is Best?

Choose solid wood if you want a traditional, long-lasting floor and you're happy to invest in professional installation and maintenance.

Choose engineered wood if you want a versatile, eco-friendly floor that's easier to install and ideal for modern lifestyles.

Natura Flooring: Quality You Can Trust

At Natura Flooring, we offer both solid and engineered wood flooring, expertly crafted in Venice, Italy in partnership with Florian.

We use only FSC-certified European oak and walnut sourced responsibly from Croatia and Ukraine. With a range of finishes, styles - including herringbone - and our free sample service, we make it easy to find the perfect floor for your home.

Explore difference true craftsmanship makes - sustainably made, beautifully finished, and built to last.

source https://naturaflooring.co.uk/blogs/news/engineered-wood-flooring-vs-solid-wood-flooring-what-s-the-difference

What is The Family Floor?

When it comes to choosing a wood floor for a busy home, you need something beautiful, reliable, and made to handle real life. That’s exactly what The Family Floor delivers - a new generation hybrid engineered wood floor that blends the warmth of natural wood with next-generation construction and sustainability.

Product: The Family Floor Cuba Libre.

A Hybrid Engineered Wood Floor, Built for Modern Living

Unlike traditional engineered wood flooring, The Family Floor is thinner, lighter, and more advanced in its construction.

It features a carefully designed multi-layer structure:

• A 0.6mm wear layer of premium European oak or American walnut
• A high-performance birch plywood core for strength and stability
• And a built-in 1.5mm cork underlay, offering excellent sound insulation, warmth underfoot, and moisture resistance.

This hybrid construction makes The Family Floor lighter than standard engineered wood floors - reducing transport emissions and making it much easier to handle and install, while still delivering lasting durability.

Non-Toxic, Sustainable & Safe for the Whole Family

Manufactured entirely in Italy by the Florian Group, The Family Floor is produced using European-sourced, FSC®-certified timber, with full traceability from forest to finished floor. It’s made in facilities powered by clean, renewable energy and emits virtually zero VOCs or harmful chemicals.

Product: The Family Floor Mojito.

The surface is treated with a high-performance, UV-cured, water-based acrylic lacquer — non-toxic, antibacterial, and scratch-resistant, making it a perfect choice for family homes and pet owners. It’s also certified Indoor Air Comfort Gold, ensuring a healthy environment for everyone.

Scratch-Resistant & Pet-Friendly

Despite its slimline structure, The Family Floor offers outstanding resilience. The durable oak wear layer is coated with six layers of protective UV lacquer, delivering:

• Stain resistance
• Antibacterial protection for healthier surfaces
• Excellent scratch, abrasion, & stain resistance
• Timeless finish with Timeless® technology, preserving the look and texture of real wood

• It's the ideal floor for busy family homes, high-traffic areas, and pet owners — designed to withstand everyday scuffs from paws, toys, and furniture without compromising its beauty or integrity. The cork base also softens impacts and muffles the sound of pet claws on hard surfaces, keeping your space calm and comfortable.

Quiet Comfort Underfoot

One of the standout features of The Family Floor is its exceptional ability to reduce noise, making it an ideal choice for family homes, apartments, and multi-level properties. Thanks to its built-in 1.5mm natural cork underlay, this flooring absorbs the sound of footsteps, furniture movement, and everyday activity, creating a noticeably quieter, more peaceful living environment.

The cork base acts as a natural acoustic insulator, softening sounds by up to -20 dB — significantly more than conventional engineered wood floors. It also helps minimise impact noise between floors, making it especially valuable in open-plan homes, upstairs rooms, and communal spaces where reducing sound transfer matters.

As a bonus, the cork underlay provides a gentle cushioning effect underfoot, adding warmth and softness with every step. Quiet, comfortable, and beautifully made, The Family Floor makes everyday living feel just a little calmer.

Easy Installation with the Patented 5G® Fold Down System

No glue, no nails, no mess. The Family Floor uses the world’s leading 5G® Fold Down click system by Välinge Innovations AB, making it quick, secure, and easy to install — even over existing hard floors like tile or stone. It’s compatible with underfloor heating systems and perfect for renovations or fast-fit projects.

The Family Floor Certifications

The Family Floor is FSC®-certified, CE marked, and tested to EN 14342 European flooring standards. Every floor undergoes rigorous testing by accredited labs like CATAS to ensure exceptional performance in high-traffic environments.

Product: The Family Floor Margarita.

Why Choose The Family Floor?

✔ Hybrid engineered wood floor — thinner, lighter, and durable
✔ Made in Venice, Italy from European oak and birch plywood
✔ FSC® certified and CE marked for quality and sustainability
✔ Built-in cork underlay for soundproofing and moisture protection
✔ Non-toxic, antibacterial and scratch-resistant UV lacquer
✔ Pet friendly, hygienic, and easy to clean
✔ Fast, secure installation with 5G® Fold Down click system
✔ Compatible with underfloor heating

The Family Floor redefines what modern wood flooring can be - authentic, sustainable, hardwearing, and beautifully designed for life. Browse The Family Floor collection here.

source https://naturaflooring.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-the-family-floor