Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring provides an excellent alternative to traditional hardwood flooring. Growing in popularity as an alternative, bamboo flooring has many features that make it stand out when compared to hardwood. Although harvested mostly in China, bamboo flooring is now widely available in North America and Europe. Many of those that adopted bamboo flooring early on point out its environmental friendliness. The bamboo plant regrows within a few seasons and can be harvested repeatedly without permanent damage. 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 done without causing any permanent damage.

How does bamboo flooring compare with traditional hardwoods? High quality bamboo flooring provides a tougher surface than even the rarest and most expensive hardwoods. Moisture is also less of a problem for bamboo flooring. Where traditional hardwood may buckle and crack because of water exposure, bamboo flooring will keep out water without a problem. Bamboo flooring is processed as a laminate and treated under very high pressure with a high quality glue. This makes bamboo flooring extremely hardy and resistant to abrasion, where a hardwood floor would end up showing scratches. Bamboo flooring has become a great deal more affordable in recent times as well.

Best of all, bamboo flooring can typically be installed at home without any professional assistance. Like many of the newer hardwoods, bamboo flooring is made with a groove that allows the planks to interlock, making them considerably easier to install. Prior to laying down a bamboo floor, allow the planks sit in their new environment for no less than 72 hours. Although bamboo flooring does not suffer from water damage like hardwood, they do need some time to adjust to the new environment before installation.

What steps need to be taken in order to provide upkeep for a bamboo floor? Maintenance requirements are fairly simple for bamboo flooring. Be sure to clean the floor after installing it, using a mop with only a little bit of water. Regular dusting and sweeping should be done after installation. This will prevent a build up of dust that can dull the finish. A mat should be placed at the entrance to prevent dust and dirt from coming into the room. Dirt and small rocks can easily scratch the finish, and a mat can do a great deal to prevent this problem.