Bamboo Flooring

For an attractive alternative to traditional hard wood flooring, many people decide to go with bamboo flooring. Growing in popularity, bamboo flooring has many attractive features that make it a viable option for modern homeowners. Bamboo flooring is cultivated mainly in South Asia and is available to consumers through out Europe and North America. It has grown in admiration due to the extensive amount of versatility it has to offer in helping our environment. Certain species of the Bamboo plant can reproduce itself rapidly and can grow up to 2 inches per day. In fact, the bamboo plant is considered a grass, as it grows much quicker than any tree. When done responsibly, bamboo plant harvesting can be accomplished in a environmentally friendly manner.

In what way does bamboo and traditional hardwood flooring products compare with each other? High quality bamboo flooring products are harder and more durable than even the most expensive hardwood flooring. Moisture is also less of a problem for bamboo flooring. Where traditional hardwood may buckle and crack because of water exposure, bamboo flooring can absorb the moisture without a problem. The processing of bamboo flooring as a laminate is done with extreme pressure, treating it with a high quality glue product. This type of processing enables bamboo flooring to be more resistant to scratches and markings, which tends to be a problem with traditional hardwood flooring. In today’s economy, bamboo flooring is increasing in popularity because it is one of the more affordable natural flooring products available.

One of the best aspects to bamboo flooring is that it can be installed easily by homeowners themselves. Like many of the newer hardwoods, bamboo flooring is produced with a tongue and groove construction, which is what makes them considerably easier to install. Before installing a bamboo floor, let the planks sit in their new environment for no less than 72 hours. Although bamboo flooring is very resistant to moisture, they do need some time to adjust to their new climate before installation.

What should be done to maintain a bamboo floor? Another attractive feature of bamboo flooring is the maintenance involved, or lack thereof, because it is very easy to do. Routine cleaning involves a cloth wetted with water or a wood cleaner formulated for pre-finished hardwood or laminate floors, and you need to wipe up foods and other spills immediately. Long term cleaning will depend on the amount of wear on the floor, because once it begins to take on a dull appearance you will need to recoat the Urethane finish. Some tips for keeping it looking great include: never waxing your bamboo floor because the urethane-based finish is designed to protect your floor for years. Beware the type of shoes people wear on bamboo flooring, the average size woman in high heels can exert as much as 2,000 pounds per square inch of pressure on the floor which can cause noticeable damage to your floor. In keeping your bamboo flooring looking great for many years to come, it is important to always follow the manufacturer’s recommendation on bamboo flooring maintenance.