Bamboo Flooring: What You Should Know

One of the hardiest and most prolific of grasses, bamboo has become the poster child for green living, especially when it comes to using it for flooring. Here?s why. Bamboo grows like a tall grass, but it acts like a wood. Just like an all-natural product, there are some pros and cons to using it on your floor.?

From a ?green? standpoint, bamboo is highly renewable and can replace itself in a few years, as compared to trees that can take decades to replace. Unlike natural wood, however, bamboo is low maintenance and only requires regular sweeping and mopping to keep it looking fabulous. Plus, the advantage that bamboo has over regular wood is that it is more waterproof than natural wood from trees.
But let?s talk price. Some bamboo will cost just as much as hardwood will, and will depend on the cut, the length, and whether it has been carbonized for additional strength. With bamboo, just like hardwood, you do get what you pay for, so avoiding the discount bargain bin bamboo is advisable. Most estimates set the pricing to average somewhere from $2-$8 dollars a square foot.?

Types of Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo can be produced in many ways, each making them more durable than the other. First, there is the natural un-carbonized flooring, which can be just as hard and as durable as some oak flooring. Then, there is the strand woven bamboo flooring that will be more expensive and more durable, still.?

Things to consider, when choosing a bamboo floor, include taking into account the area where you live. Bamboo, if not installed properly, will react badly in very cold, or very humid parts of the country. In high humidity, the bamboo will develop a warping, and in very cold areas it can shrink. Both results are disappointing and can be avoided by a professional installer who can take into account these environmental tendencies and can compensate for them by using special underlayment, vapor barriers, and other types of adjustments.?

If you are considering bamboo flooring, it can?t be beat for its versatility, renewability, and its design impact on a space.?