In today’s environment, concern for the sustainability of the planet is an important consideration in building and construction. Many exotic tropical hardwoods such as teak are contributing to deforestation of the tropics. Annual world consumption of tropical hardwoods is now more than 250 million cubic meters, or over 100 billion board feet, per year. Anyone wishing to create the exotic look of tropical hardwood flooring without the impact on the planet might consider the beautiful coconut palm.

Like bamboo, coconut palms are a renewable resource. Also, like bamboo coconut palms are actually not a tree at all but are in the grass family. Coconut palms are rapidly growing reaching maturity in 6 to 8 years. In contrast to bamboo, coconut palms produce flooring with a deep rich brown color. Because palms are a single stem plant, without branches, there are no knots or blemishes to detract from its look.

Most interesting, there is a large existing supply of dormant coconut palms ready for harvest. Highly sustainable, coconut palm boards are a by-product of coconut plantation operations. Palm trees older than 75 to 80 years old become ‘senile’ and quit producing coconuts. At this point the trees are abandoned or cut down and replaced. It is estimated that there are approximately 2.5 billion acres of coconut palm groves with close to 10 million acres (400 million trees) of senile trees, growing to a diameter as large as one meter at the base.

Coconut groves are a small grower operation primarily in 3rd world countries with the largest concentrations in Indonesia, India, and the Philippines. A historically small demand for the wood combined with lack of harvesting and manufacturing infrastructure have limited the harvesting of existing trees. As demand grows and infrastructure develops, coconut palm timber will likely become an important source of income for these small farmers.

When using coconut palm wood for flooring applications, it is important to know that only specific selections of wood from the tree is appropriate. Palms provide high density, hard wood in the outer dermal area of the tree with an increasingly softer core at the center of the tree. Along with this, the color of the wood moves from a deep rich brown to a lighter honey comb in transitioning from the outer dermal to the inner core. The outer dermal has hardness properties comparable to maple and other hardwoods providing a durable dent resistant surface. Because the color varies depending upon the tree, tree age, and area of the tree, it is important to be selective in matching boards for colr variation.

For exotic appearance and eco-friendly building, coconut palm flooring may be hard to beat.

When Betsy decided to re-carpet her house, she didn’t know she was starting a snowball down a hill. It was a simple remark – ‘a new carpet means the you’ll be living with those stairs for a long time’. ‘Those stairs’ were the same ones where the spindles were so far apart Betsy and her husband were afraid their toddler would fall through. They had wrapped the stairs in wire mesh to prevent such an accident. That’s when they said, “ok we’re going to replace these stairs too and we’re going to update the look with natural woods instead of white paint.”

After meeting and consulting on the project with Ron, they changed their plans from a solid oak staircase to match the oak flooring in the foyer, to a dark mahogany color with iron spindles. The iron spindles would provide a fresh new look and the dark mahogany would draw in the dark woods of the adjoining living room, bringing the rooms together and providing for more harmony. Also at Ron’s suggestion, they added a storage closet under the stairs from what had been just dead space.

The results are stunning. Betsy and her husband are ecstatic. “The construction is excellent. I love the look and I love the new storage space.", said Betsy. But the snowball keeps rolling down hill. The Wilson’s are now considering replacing the chandelier in the foyer, maybe the one in the dining room too. And the furniture could use updating. "That couch in the living room has got to go," said Betsy of a comment her husband made. The snowball just keeps getting bigger.