Why We Love Kahrs

Green Building Supply loves Kährs Wood Flooring, and you will too.

The Kährs Mission Statement:
To enhance the quality of life through innovations in wood flooring that creates a safe and sustainable future for our communities and our environment.

A TRADITION OF SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION SINCE 1857

• Kährs is the oldest wood flooring manufacturer in the world. It was founded as a family business in the small town of Nybro, Sweden, deep in the heart of a Swedish forest.
• Through innovation after innovation, Kährs has become the industry leader in engineered hardwood flooring. They have completely changed the way hardwoods are harvested, designed, manufactured, finished, and installed creating a global demand for engineered flooring.
• Today, Kährs is the largest flooring manufacturer in Europe supplying products to more than 70 countries.

ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE FORESTRY

• Sustainability is not a new concept for Kährs; it’s a way of life the Swedish have been living for generations.
• Kährs buys logs from 4,000 local farmers, who are allowed to cut only a few trees each year, and who plant 5 trees for every 1 tree they cut.
• As a result of this conservation practice, the forests in Sweden have steadily increased in size by 60% over the past 100 years.
• More than 88% of the raw materials used grow less than 180 miles from the Kährs factory, requiring less transportation.
• Kährs guarantees that all wood species originate from legal sources and are sustainably harvested.
• All of Kährs wood flooring is certified either by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

CARBON NEUTRAL PRODUCTION

• Kährs flooring production in Nybro, Sweden is super efficient and wastes none of the raw materials; it utilizes every part of the log.
• All of the wood waste, such as bark, sawdust, and wood chips create enough bio-fuel to heat not only the factory but also 6,150 homes in the town of Nybro, Sweden!
• As a consequence of generating as much energy as they use, Kährs has become one of the first carbon neutral flooring companies.

GAME CHANGING FLOORING DESIGN

1. In 1941, Kährs was granted a patent for inventing the first multi-layered engineered hardwood floor.
2. These floors are designed to be structurally stable so they resist warping, cupping, and cracking in all climates wet or dry. In fact, they are 55% more stable than normal hardwood flooring.
3. The key to this exceptional stability is two proprietary processes: 1) very slow natural drying, and 2) the cross-ply structure of each plank: hardwood on the top layer, softwood in the middle and bottom layer with expansion gaps throughout the middle layer.
4. Unlike most nail down or glue down hardwoods, Kährs engineered floors can be installed above, at, or below grade. They can be floated over most subfloors such as concrete, plywood, or even vinyl or ceramic tile. (per installation instructions)
5. And, they can also be installed over hydronic radiant heat. Kährs is the first flooring company to perfect and warrant this type of application.
6. Kährs created the first universal type of flooring that can be found in homes, offices, retail, hotels, concert halls, theaters, and sports arenas from Europe and Asia to the Americas

CREATING THE CLEANEST SAFEST FLOORING

• In 1984 Kährs was the first manufacturer to stop using solvents in their finishes. They also stopped using urea formaldehyde or isocyanates in their adhesives.
• Kährs water-based finishes with ultra-low VOC emissions yield a much cleaner and safer indoor air quality.
• Today Kährs floors have the lowest formaldehyde emissions in the industry; as low as .0015 ppm, which exceeds US and European safety standards.
• Kährs flooring is third party certified against all hazardous air pollutants: EMAS (EU eco-management scheme), Nordic Swan ecolabel, ISO 9001-14001, FloorScore, and French A+.

EFFICIENCY IN DESIGN REDUCES GLOBAL WARMING

• Engineered flooring requires 85% less hardwood. It’s a far more efficient design than traditional solid ¾” wood flooring from a sustainability perspective. It uses less hardwood on the top layer and softer fast growing trees for the core and bottom layers.
• One tree produces 5X more engineered flooring and, therefore, fewer large growth carbon sequestering trees need to be cut down.
• Kährs engineered flooring lasts as long as most traditional solid wood floors. The surface wear layer can be sanded and refinished at least twice extending its useful life for several generations.
• In 1999, Kährs was the first flooring manufacturer to introduce a mechanical, glueless joint system called the Woodloc System.
  This revolutionized the way flooring is installed:
  • It ensures tight joints and eliminates the need for glue or nails
  • It’s much faster to install than glue or nail down floors by a factor of 2-3 times
  • It’s so easy to install that even those with little or no construction experience can do it
  • As a result, the Woodloc system helped jump-start a DIY revolution for consumers
• Managed forests, fewer trees removed, more efficient design, no glue or nails, and faster installation, all help to reduce global warming and produce a more sustainable future.

BEAUTY FOR ALL ROOMS AND LIFESTYLES

• Whatever the size of your room or interior style, there’s a Kährs floor that will enhance your space. The flooring comes in over 80 styles, colors, and numerous wood species including ash, beech, cherry, maple, white oak, red oak, and walnut.
• Kährs provides several options for surface treatment: silk matte finish gives a smooth satin luster surface, the matte finish makes it appear untreated, gloss finish gives a shiny and polished look, while the natural oil finish gives the flooring a natural vintage feeling.
• The ultimate feeling and the look of the flooring depend on the refining treatment, and Kährs has quite a variety to choose from.
  • Wire brushed, hand scraped or smooth
  • beveled or square edged
  • knots or knot-free
  • enhancing stains or natural colors

KÄHRS BELIEVES

• Everyone is entitled to a healthy home.
• Safety for our customers, staff, and community is our top priority.
• Toxic chemicals have no place in flooring or in a home.
• Wood is the most sustainable, beautiful, and versatile flooring material there is.
• If we act as good stewards of our forests, our forests will continue to provide us with a sustainable future.
• Conservation of natural resources can reverse many of the human and environmental problems that we face today.
• Every part of the tree should be used efficiently for flooring or reused or recycled to produce energy or food.
• Importing tropical hardwoods that are illegally harvested will not support responsible forestry, local farmers, or the environment.

THE NEW GENERATION OF SUSTAINABLE HARDWOOD FLOORING

Want to make a difference to your environment and reduce global warming? Want to provide the safest floor for your family? Want a floor that will last for decades?

Then take a closer look at Kährs flooring. You’ll find that their values are in line with yours, and their quality in design, beauty, and performance will exceed your expectations.

Kährs has demonstrated their commitment to safety, ecological responsibility, and efficient design through continuous innovations since 1857. This is part of their Swedish heritage. It’s not a fad or trend, it’s who they are. And, after making flooring for over 160 years, they have gotten pretty good at it.

Celebrate this rich tradition by purchasing a Kährs floor today. You will cast your vote for a safer, sustainable future, and will enjoy a beautiful floor for generations.

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