A few months ago I decided to install hardwood flooring throughout the entire upstairs of our home. We have traditional red oak strip flooring downstairs, but I didn’t want to go through the time and trouble of sanding and finishing the floor. So, I decided to install a prefinished floating hardwood floor.

After researching the dozens of engineered floors available, I chose a most intriguing product called Lyptus Flooring. It’s made from eucalyptus trees grown on sustainable, eco-friendly plantations in Brazil, of all places. The wide planks snap together and aren’t glued or nailed down at all. Instead they “float” over a foam-rubber underlayment. No fuss, no muss.

Of course, I had no idea what eucalyptus wood looked like, but as it turns out, it’s quite attractive. It has a reddish tone that’s similar to mahogany. It’s also very hard, denser, in fact, than oak or maple. However, what truly makes eucalyptus unique is that the trees are super-fast growing. In just 15 years, they can grow to an astonishing 30” in diameter and over 115’ tall. Most hardwood trees need more than 60 years to reach that stature.

The other interesting thing about Lyptus flooring is that the 9/16” thick planks come preglued along each tongue and groove. When you tap the planks together, the friction activates the adhesive and creates a fast bond. Pretty cool, huh?