Zena Forest Products Launches Edge Grain Flooring

Zena Forest Products, based in Salem, Ore., has introduced a wood flooring line it says is unique and sustainable.

The wood flooring line, Edge Grain, uses technology that was first developed in Europe and is now available in the U.S. for the first time, according to Zena Forest Products.

The locally-sourced wood flooring consists of 7½-by-15-inch hardwood tiles composed of ¾-inch-wide individual strips and two thin embedded wire backings:

The tiles have a solid 8-mm (about 0.31-inch) wear layer. Zena says that because the tiles aren’t constructed with glue, the hardwood can breathe easily, which enables optimal mobility and durability and prevents gapping issues. The tiles also use smaller pieces of wood, which expands both tree and wood species utilization. The species include Oregon white oak, Western bigleaf maple and Oregon ash.

“We believe that exemplary forestry is achieved by balancing ecological productivity, protecting water bodies, preserving plant and wildlife species, and considering carbon storage and climate impacts,” said Ben Deumling, president of Zena Forest Products, in a statement. “Pacific Northwest forests are some of the most beautiful and environmentally important forests in the world. Per acre, they have the capacity to sequester and store more carbon than any other forest, so we’re dedicated to creating products that honor the lives of the trees we harvest, bringing the beauty of the forest to local floors.” 

Zena's 1,300-acre property consists of a mixed-species and mixed-age forest that is FSC-certified. The company says it has "spent years investing in both new and existing technologies that allow the company to use the most of every tree and create an entirely new, modernized visual expression for hardwood floors." The Edge Grain flooring can be FSC-certified by request.

Approximately 75,000 square feet of Edge Grain flooring is being installed in the Portland International Airport; the renovation is set to be unveiled in August.