We have elected to use only Forest Stewardship Council Certified Wood for all new wood applications on our renovation. FSC is a not for profit organization with a mission to promote the environmental management of forests in a socially beneficial and economically sound manner. FSC certified lumber is harvested from forests that are managed in a way that protects natural ecosystems- both within and beyond the forest itself. FSC principles protect water quality, work to prevent the loss of natural forest ground cover, prohibit the use of hazardous chemicals in forest management, and prohibit the harvesting of trees from rare growth forests. Acknowledging that trees are much more than a building material, FSC Certification serves as verification that trees are treated as a natural resource and part of a diverse ecosystem.

Bart and I acknowledge that our world has a finite number of resources. The impact of the decisions we make during the course of this project go far beyond our daily lives and the lives of our neighbors. Ecosystems around the country and around the world are impacted by the material decisions we make. The intent of FSC is to manage forests in a way that meet the resource and economic needs of today without compromising the needs of future generations. We are confident that selecting wood products sourced from FSC managed forests allows us to do our part in protecting natural resources for future generations.

Planning to use FSC wood products is a noble goal, but actually much more difficult for a residential project to follow through on than it should be. We have yet to find a local Chicago home improvement store with FSC Chain-of-Custody that stocks FSC lumber and many local commercial lumber yards do not stock FSC.  Many home improvement stores advertise FSC certified products, but when we inquired it became obvious that they neither stocked the products we were looking for or were willing to take the necessary steps to procure FSC products. Lucky for us Chicago Flameproof not only holds FSC Chain-of-Custody, but they have FSC Certified dimensional lumber and wood sheet goods in stock. They have been a phenomenal resource in meeting our FSC goals and they can typically deliver within 24-72 hours. The Chicago Flameproof staff has been helpful in putting together our lumber orders; offer competitive pricing on FSC products; and have gone above and beyond to keep our project running on schedule (they have worked with us to provide on one occasion next day delivery and on another Saturday delivery- going above and beyond their typical service schedule on both occasions). For project teams in the Chicagoland area looking to source FSC products, I highly recommend utilizing the resources at Chicago Flameproof: http://www.chicagoflameproof.com/

For more information on the Forest Stewardship Council’s mission and a directory of FSC Chain-of-Custody harvesters, manufacturers, and dealers visit: https://us.fsc.org/