About Bamboo Flooring
Hardwood flooring is a classic and beautiful choice for any home. Yet, what if you want something that’s more eco-friendly? This is where bamboo flooring comes in! We will cover in this post the benefits of buying bamboo flooring, as well as how it’s made, where it’s made, whether it is pet and kid-friendly, and some other factors to consider when making your decision.
Bamboo is a type of grass that grows usually in clusters. In terms of flooring, it behaves much the same as wood with the difference that is highly resistant to moisture. Where does bamboo actually come from? There is something called “bamboo forests, ” which are tropical and subtropical areas that have been used by people since the year 1297. Bamboo is a fast-growing plant that can grow up to a foot in one day and is even more quickly harvested. In addition to bamboo flooring being full of natural beauty, it is also environmentally friendly because it’s made from a type of grass that can be quickly regrown. One stalk of bamboo has been known to grow over 30 inches in a day! For example, an oak tree takes one hundred years to grow, while bamboo may take as little as three years from the time it was planted to be harvested, which means the world will never run out of bamboo.
Bamboo is most commonly grown in India, China and Indonesia where it thrives best in natural sunlight. It grows in regions that don’t require heavy pesticides and fertilizers helping it to be more eco-friendly. You will still want to look for responsibly-sourced bamboo flooring. One of the ways of knowing would be if the company selling the flooring has a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate. The FSC is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forests. They were established in 1994 and aim to address the exploitation and mismanagement of forests, while promoting the social biodiversity and ecological value of them through long term forestry management plans.
Rugs, Pads, And Mats That Are Safe For Bamboo Flooring
There are many different ways bamboo flooring is made, but the most common is using a process called “compression molding.” This process is something similar to an oven, which will cause them to undergo extreme heat and then quickly cool off. Strand bamboo flooring is made of strands glued together with epoxy, a heat-resistant substance, and then cut to size.
There is nothing more eco-friendly than Bamboo. Bamboo grows even in poor soil conditions and without the help of any chemicals. It also endures the most extreme weather situations and regenerate in a period of 5 years.
Durability is often an overlooked factor of sustainability. The longer a floor lasts then the lower the environmental impact in terms of replacement. All types of bamboo flooring offer excellent hardness which can provide a sturdy floor for more than a lifetime. In fact, the plant has an intrinsically strong molecular structure with a tensile strength that’s actually stronger than steel!
Bamboo Flooring Pros & Cons
While the finish of bamboo flooring adds protection and durability, it also provides a surface that’s easy to maintain. The flooring can be cleaned just like a hardwood with regular sweeping or vacuuming and the occasional damp mop using a suitable cleaning solution.
Bamboo also has natural antimicrobial properties that will help to reduce household allergens like dust mites and mold spores- making it even more of a desirable option for those with allergies or asthma.
It is also an environmentally friendly flooring option because of its ability to act as a natural insulator, keeping your home warmer in the winter, and cooler in the summer without putting any extra strain on your HVAC system.
How To Clean Bamboo Floors
Not only does it have a low impact on the environment, bamboo flooring is great for commercial spaces, it also has properties that make it good for preventing odor buildup. A recent study found bamboo flooring was best suited for commercial use like gyms because of its high polishability and hardness. Also, due to its natural vibration absorbing properties it is great for yoga studios. At Woodpecker, we have added a new dimension to our Oxwich collection with two new bamboo flooring options in Herringbone. Sustainable and kid-friendly, bamboo will add a spacious feel to your space. It’s also very durable- with strand woven bamboo being one of the strongest floorings on Earth, they’re able to withstand high traffic in commercial or residential settings.While bamboo flooring is not exactly new, having been around for two decades, it might as well be. In recent years, advances in manufacturing have enhanced its performance and diversified its appearance. The major change: the introduction of superdense “strand-woven” bamboo, which can be milled into boards that are two and a half times as hard as red oak.
They also can be produced in an array of wood-look styles—from the familiar, like maple or walnut, to exotic species, like tigerwood and cumaru—that are quite different from what most people associate with the material. “Strand-woven has changed bamboo’s reputation from an eco product to a major player, delivering the look and durability of Brazilian hardwoods for two-thirds the cost, ” says Joel Hirshberg, president of Green Building Supply, which has been selling bamboo floors for 16 years.
Whether you’re simply looking for something a little different from what all your neighbors have or like the idea of remodeling with sustainability in mind—or just love the price—here’s what you need to know about buying and installing today’s bamboo flooring.
Most Sustainable Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring In India
Shown: Wide planks that look like exotic hardwood warm up this white kitchen. Morning Star 5⅛-inch Antique Strand Bamboo, about $3.69 per sq. ft.; Lumber Liquidators
The Difference in Bamboo Used for Flooring: Bamboo is a grass, and the variety used for flooring is different from the plant that grows in a pot on your desk. This is Moso bamboo, which reaches its full height, 40 to 80 feet, in its first year and thickens to 6 to 8 inches in diameter as it matures over the next five years.
From $2 to $10 per square foot for both solid and engineered boards, depending on type and finish. Expect to pay the same for installation as with a wood floor.
Why Is Bamboo Flooring Popular?
Bamboo boards go down like wood—so if you’re comfortable nailing or gluing tongue-and-groove oak or snapping down a floating floor, you can tackle bamboo.
Anywhere you’d use wood—including baths, kitchens, basements—but it’s subject to the same risk of damage from excess moisture or dryness as hardwood.
‘Moso’) grows naturally in China, where the vast majority of bamboo flooring is manufactured. If harvested stalk by stalk, without clear-cutting, it regrows in five to six years, making it a rapidly renewable resource. Some, but not all, companies can tell you if they source from a responsibly managed plantation. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is not yet widespread.
Sonora Floors Bamboo
As for the chemical-containing adhesives and finishes used in the finished product, looking for third-party certification (FloorScore and GREENGUARD are two among the most widely used) remains your best bet regarding VOC and formaldehyde emissions.
Horizontal Strips are adhered edge to edge, skin side up, making maximum use of the stalk. This orientation shows the nodes, or “knuckles, ” for a classic bamboo look. Offset layers add strength. Comes natural, stained, and carbonized (heat-treated during manufacturing to give it a caramel-like hue).
Strips are arranged and glued with cut edges facing up for a linear look and a floor that’s less likely to show dents than horizontal bamboo. Knuckles are much less noticeable, too. Available natural or carbonized but typically not stained, as a stain isn’t absorbed as readily by the thin strips.
Home Decorators Collection Horizontal Toast 3/8 In. T X 5 In. W Bamboo Flooring (13.4 Sqft/case) Hl615h
Strips are soaked in adhesive, laid out lengthwise in various orientations, then compressed in giant hydraulic presses, creating a solid rectangular mass that’s milled into floorboards. Two to three times denser than other types of bamboo, it lends itself to special finishes and surface treatments.
Solid boards come ½ to ⅝ inch thick; engineered planks, ⅜ to ½ inch. Made with a bamboo veneer atop a plywood or bamboo substrate for added stability, engineered planks are good for floating floors in damp or very dry environments. Expect to find unfinished planks at ¾ inch thick, to be sanded on-site.
The standard for solid bamboo is 3¾ inches, but 4- to 6-inch widths are gaining ground. As with prefinished wood floors, micro-beveled edges help hide unevenness between planks. Click-together engineered planks are square-edged, as are some traditional horizontal or vertical bamboo floorboards.
Wright Bamboo Pureform™ Solid Traditional Bamboo Floors
Though there is tremendous variation among products, vertical and horizontal bamboo floors typically score around 1, 825 on the Janka scale (a universal hardness rating for flooring), harder than hickory. Strand-woven can score nearly double that, around 3, 270, comparable to Brazilian redwood. Check company websites to see if third-party testing has been done.
As with hardwood flooring, the glossier the finish, the more scratches will show. Factory-applied finishes offer superior durability but require more skill and labor to replace, unlike finishes that are applied on-site. (For more, see the next slide.)
The second main ingredient in bamboo flooring is adhesive resin. Cheap urea-based resins can off-gas formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Look for independent
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