Bamboo flooring designs

How to choose and if it is the right type of flooring for you.

We hope to be of help in your decision on what type of flooring best suits you and your family. We offer information, the good and the bad so that you can make an educated decision on what best will fit your home and budget. Our site can provide the information you need to study and breakdown the components that go into installing bamboo floors.

What Is Bamboo Flooring?

Still largely unknown in the Western world, bamboo floors have definitely come into its own – and is something that you definitely want to consider as an option for your wood floor.

It is beautiful, very resilient, and comes in just about as many colors, and styles – just like wood floors. This article will tell you about the great new possibilities that this offers.

The Processing of Bamboo

It is made from bamboo that is cut into strips and then glued together. It is then put together and pressed, in one of two ways – either with three layers of horizontally aligned bamboo, or with the center layer running counter to the outer layers. With this latter pattern, it is stronger, and less likely to warp. The bamboo may be boiled, which tends to give it a rich brown color, similar to wood, and they call it carbonizing the bamboo. There is no stain on carbonized bamboo, but other bamboo flooring does also come in over 30 colors.

The Resilience of Bamboo

Various types of bamboo are used in wood flooring, and naturally, some of it is harder than other forms. Also the treatment involved is a determining factor on its resilience. Carbonizing bamboo, while looking very elegant, also softens the bamboo by as much as 30%. The various finishes also help to determine a product’s life span. Bamboo floors are often sold with a warranty to last either 10 or 30 years.

The Uses of Bamboo

Bamboo flooring can be used in any situation where a wood floor could be placed. Obviously, you would not want to put it on floors that are exposed to high levels of moisture – such as a bathroom floor. It now comes with tongue and groove – from some manufacturers. It is usually glued in place, but a particular kind may not be recommended for a floating floor.

It is just as elegant as any wood floor. Your nearest building supply store may already carry several styles. While there, you may also want to consider looking at bamboo veneer, bamboo furniture, and other beautiful bamboo products.

Advantages

This type of flooring has become one of the most popular trends in home flooring over recent years, mainly because it is versatile, attractive, environmentally-friendly and stain resistant.

It is also fairly easy to install in much the same way as more conventional wooden flooring, and can be installed in several different ways. Bamboo can be easily stapled down, nailed or glued down.

Bamboo looks good once installed, and is pleasing to look at partly because of the natural patterns and slight variations in its color. It is generally readily available in two styles – flat-grain and vertical patterns. Another advantage of bamboo is that it can easily be stained or dyed.

Bamboo is stronger than most people think – it can withstand twice as much force as concrete and ounce for ounce, is stronger than brick and many types of wood. Because of its strength and durability, bamboo can be used in any room in the house, and increasingly more people choose to use it as flooring in the kitchen or bathroom. Because the plant is grown mostly in tropical regions, it is naturally water and moisture resistant, and also less likely to warp.

If you are concerned for the environment, not to worry it is also environmentally-friendly when compared to other more conventional types of wood. Bamboo grows much faster than other hardwoods commonly used for flooring – once planted, bamboo can be ready for harvesting in as little as five years. As bamboo is technically a grass, it can also be harvested more than once from the same place, thus further helping to protect the environment.

When properly installed it is both attractive and long-lasting. As wood flooring types go, it is also just a little bit different and unusual. And of course, if you have an Asian theme or Asian furnishings in your home, bamboo flooring is a perfect complement.