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Choosing the Best Hardwood Floors for your Home

Bamboo Flooring

There are over 1,000 species of Bamboo, which by the way is not a wood, but a grass.  This makes bamboo an excellent environmentally friendly source of flooring.  In fact, bamboo, once cut, will grow back naturally and can reach maturity in little more than four to five years.  A benefit, sadly that oak, maple, cherry, and even pine cannot offer.  

In addition to this great ability, Bamboo also offers qualities such as durability, warmth, and beauty.  However, even though there are more than 1,000 species of bamboo, only a few are suitable for use as flooring, with Moso, being the most common species used.  In one year, Moso can grow to heights of 40-50 feet tall and will reach maturity in only three more years, providing a virtual unlimited resource for flooring material.  Once Moso reaches maturity, it is harvested, dried, cut into strips, and planed.  Then the bamboo strips are laminated and are either stained natural or are carbonized, which is the darker amber shade.   

Carbonized bamboo has been boiled, which caramelizes the sugars in the bamboo, turning the bamboo rich, dark-amber in color.  The carbonization process does reduce the bamboo’s hardness by approximately 30%.  This brings me to the fact that many times I’ve heard salespeople boast that bamboo flooring is almost indestructible.  Keep in mind that bamboo is a grass and not actually wood, therefore when you compare its hardness to other hardwood flooring species, bamboo is quite low on the scale. However, I’m not in any way implying that you should not install bamboo.  I am however, suggesting that you have a complete understanding that every type of wood flooring requires care in order for it to last, including bamboo. 

Bamboo flooring should be maintained by simply sweeping or vacuuming it on a regular basis and it should occasionally be damp mopped.  However, over wetting will cause your bamboo flooring to cup.