Acacia wood flooring isn’t the only use for this amazing wood material. Dating back many centuries, acacia has been used by humans in more ways than one can imagine. From woodwork and various tools to actual medicines and baking ingredients, you would be hard-pressed to find such a diverse history with any product you may choose to design your home around.
But, where does acacia come from, and what are some of the pro’s and cons you should consider before deciding about this style of flooring?
What Is Acacia?
Referring to more than 1,000 different tree and shrub species, the name acacia refers to a genus of plant that includes these many types. Acacia was first discovered by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s and was first given the name Acacia nilotica. These varieties are native to Australia and Africa. However, they are also grown in places like Asia, the PacIfic Islands, and North America. Uniquely, these varieties can be found growing in such diverse habitats as rainforests, coastal dunes, and woodlands.
What Are Some Unique Ways People Use Acacia?
With over a thousand different varieties of species deriving from Acacia, it now makes complete sense as to why there are so many uses. Here are but a few of the various benefits of Acacia:
Reduces body fat
Yes, you read that right. Believe it or not, there has been actual studies done on the impact of Acacia gum and one’s body mass index, or BMI. In one particular study that involved 120 people, 60 took 30 grams of acacia gum per day for six weeks and another 60 took a placebo containing 1 gram of pectin for the same amount of time. The result of those who took acacia gum not only reduced their BMI, but also had their body fat percentage reduced by over 2 percent.
Soothes coughs and sore throats
Next time cold season hits, sign me up. Another benefit to acacia is that it is actually known to help control coughs by coating one’s throat and protecting the mucus in the throat from irritation.
Helps wound healing
Acacia is made up of some pretty unique chemicals. With roughly 1200 different species, it’s no wonder it has been used to so much. Another use of acacia is with helping wounds heal. One specific species of acacia is Acacia caesia. When tested as a topical treatment, it was found to helping heal the wound quicker than standard treatment.
But enough about the uniqueness of acacia and its many health benefits, what makes acacia wood a good choice for flooring in home design? Please note, by choosing to install acacia wood flooring in your home, it will not reduce body fat, soothe colds and sore throats, or help with healing any wounds. But, it might just provide your home with a look and feel that is unique and one of a kind.
Acacia Wood For Home Design
The acacia species that is used in hardwood flooring can be grouped into two different categories. These categories are small leaf acacia and large leaf acacia. Acacia wood flooring is naturally water-resistant and quite durable. Please remember, water-resistant is not waterproof. In considering to install this long-lasting and resilient flooring type in your home, let’s take a look at some of the different options for acacia wood flooring.
What Are Some Options For Acacia Wood Flooring?
Like the many different types of species of acacia, acacia wood flooring does offer some different options. And with some pretty incredible advances in flooring technology over the years, not all of your options are, knock on wood. Here are three options for acacia wood flooring:
Solid Acacia flooring
Engineered Acacia flooring
Laminate Acacia flooring
In this day and age, the differences between the three, at first look, might be difficult to spot to the untrained eye. With solid and engineered hardwood flooring, they are both manufactured from actual real wood. In this, it then maintains the uniqueness found in the appearance of natural wood and the textured grain. Of course, with laminate, it is an imitation. However, with such advancement in technology, you would be amazed at how realistic laminate flooring actually looks.
What Makes Acacia Wood Flooring A Great Choice For You?
There are many benefits to installing acacia wood flooring in your home, office, or space. Here are just a few of many positives for choosing acacia wood:
Eco-Friendly
One thing we love about Portland and its surrounding area is how we treat sustainability as not just a buzzword, but an actual way of living. With choosing acacia wood, it fits right in. What makes acacia a green flooring choice? The fact that acacia grows fast and that harvesting is regularly managed, it then require much fewer emissions than other choices. Also, acacia is recyclable and reusable.
Variety
Beyond acacia’s unique textures and grain patterns, from the sheer variety of species used for flooring opens up a large variety of color options to choose from.
Durability
When talking about hardwood flooring and durability, solid oak is something we hear often. But, did you know that acacia wood is actually harder than both oak and maple? What this amounts to is years of enjoyment and durability before needing to refinish or replace.
Water-resistance
As previously noted, acacia wood is naturally water-resistant. This can make for easy clean up with just the swipe of a mop as well. But again, water-resistant does not mean waterproof. With water-resistant flooring, if a spill is left alone, over time, the moisture can and will soak in.
Of course, there are many more reasons to choose acacia wood flooring for your next remodel. At Simple Floors Portland, we’d love to talk with you about that next project. Have you been to our showroom and spoken with one of our on site experts?
Check out all of the acacia wood flooring options here.
