Bamboo Flooring - The Perfect Alternative to Hardwood
Because bamboo floors are considered environmentally friendly, many people are now looking at this product with a different eye.
If you are considering flooring and you are looking for good quality flooring or an alternative to it, bamboo may be of interest. It is durable, versatile, and inexpensive. Also bamboo is environmentally friendly; you don't need to feel guilty about cutting up good hardwood trees for your home. Bamboo has a positive environmental impact.
Bamboo is actually a grass and can be found in all parts of the world, but the primary resource comes from Indonesia, China, and Vietnam. Unlike hardwood, bamboo can grow up to 3 feet a day and harvested every five or six years, harvesting doesn't kill the bamboo but it will grow new stalks without the need of replanting it. A good quality bamboo floor is harvested from bamboo that has been grown for about seven years. Also, because bamboo is a grass it is much more resistant to moisture making it much more resistant to expansion like other hardwoods.
Bamboo flooring comes in horizontal grain, vertical grain, and strand woven. Each of these styles features its own unique look and performance. The flooring can be laid vertically or horizontally, depending on your preference. Bamboo has similar hardness to any hardwood floors, but be aware it can scratch like any hardwood, so choose a bamboo with a good finish. Bamboo floors can also be stained and sanded just like hardwood floors. Another big plus is that bamboo flooring comes in a variety of styles.
Different Styles of Bamboo Flooring:
1. Horizontal grain - finished product gives the appearance of bamboo stalks where one can see the knuckles of the bamboo
2. Vertical grain - unique appearance of long narrow strips where the knuckles are mostly hidden
3. Strand woven - unique and random the finish outcome is that you can see the knuckles occasionally (the strand woven is very highly compression during the manufacturing process and gives it a very high hardness rating.)
As with any wood flooring, cleaning and care need to be considered. Bamboo floors still need to be cleaned like any other floor in your house, but some say that the maintenance aspect of traditional hardwood floors is not necessary with this type of floor. All in all with the added features of bamboo flooring, price, style features, less maintenance, plus the environmental friendly quality, it makes looking at bamboo floors a consideration for your next choice of flooring needs.
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