How many powderpost beetle complaints does Armstrong Wood Products receive in a year?
Armstrong received eight complaints about insect activity in our solid hardwood floors from January 2004 through June 2005. During the same period, we manufactured and sold hundreds of millions of square feet of solid hardwood flooring amounting to hundreds of thousands of installations. How does Armstrong guard against insect activity in our solid wood flooring products? As a standard practice, we process our lumber in kilns at temperatures above 130-degrees Fahrenheit, and for a duration of time, that exceed the minimum standards required to eliminate any insect activity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has verified it is not possible for insects, including active powderpost beetles to survive this process. For this reason, this type of kiln-drying is commonly referred to as kiln sterilization with respect to the treatment of the wood for insects in manufacturing. Accordingly, powderpost beetle activity in our wood floors — pre-finished or unfinished – is not attributed to
