Bamboo Flooring Facts
We have sifted through countless web sites, print media, and assorted literature in order to present a clean, organized, and accurate bamboo flooring guide which covers everything you want to know about bamboo flooring.
Bamboo Flooring - Just the Facts
Welcome to Bamboo Flooring Facts, where our goal is to condense and organize the vast amounts of information that exists about this fantastic product, and there is a lot of information out there. We've compiled extensive research about the best bamboo flooring suppliers, types of bamboo floors, bamboo flooring installation practices, bamboo flooring facts and figures, bamboo flooring recommended adhesives, bamboo floor care, bamboo floor moldings, and anything else you would want to know about bamboo flooring.
One of the latest positive trends in interior design, bamboo flooring is an elegant and eco-friendly alternative to traditional hardwood floors. Simply installing a bamboo floor can transform any room from outdated or boring to stylish and chic with the added benefit of helping the environment. Considering its significant advantages such as ease of bamboo floor care, rapid renewability, insect resistance, moisture resistance, dimensional stability, durability, and price, this flooring is by and large still the design industry’s best kept secret. Believe it or not, a majority of homeowners have never heard of bamboo flooring even though it has been available for over 10 years (so don’t be surprised if you fall into this category).
Bamboo Plant
Is bamboo a tree or grass?
Bamboo, that wonderful wild grass from Asia, has long been a vital tool in the development of society since at least as far back as the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD).
- Bamboo grows very quickly with very little maintenance. Some species of bamboo have been known to grow up to 4 feet per day.
- Bamboo is typically 20% more stable than average hardwood floor, and it regenerates to harvest age in 1/10th of the time.
- Every part of the bamboo plant can be utilized and it needs no fertilizers or pesticides; in fact, very few insects eat bamboo at all.
So you may wonder, how do round bamboo poles get turned into bamboo floors? Well, you can check out our bamboo flooring manufacturer process which is a visual diagram of how bamboo floors are made, and see for yourself!
A Brief Overview Of Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo has been used in flooring, furniture, and other household products and structures for thousands of years. With a tensile strength comparable to steel, bamboo is a fantastic building material with an amazing cellular structure that happens to be beautiful, stable, and durable. In the flooring world bamboo has been made into engineered bamboo flooring, solid bamboo flooring, strand woven bamboo flooring, hand scraped (distressed) bamboo flooring, and bamboo flooring for installation over radiant heat. The dimensional stability of bamboo flooring is one key reason for its meteoric popularity with interior designers and architects, not to mention its rapid renewability.
Fast growing and long lived, timber bamboo grows to a height of 50 feet with a diameter exceeding 6 inches and matures in 5-6 years. Unlike traditional hardwoods, which take 20-60 years to mature to harvest age, bamboo does not require replanting once harvested. Bamboo is a grass, and from an environmental standpoint, this is important. Mature bamboo has an extensive root system that continues to send up new shoots for decades. Harvesting is done by hand, minimizing the impact on the local environment. By working with bamboo and understanding its growth patterns, bamboo farmers are able to maximize timber production while maintaining healthy forests.
So why did it take so long for bamboo flooring to catch on in the United States? Well, for one thing, bamboo was only available in thin, round yellow reeds often used as novelty tiki decorations. Because it is not wood, bamboo needs to be engineered before it is sturdy enough to last. When bamboo floors were first mass manufactured and introduced to the west in the 1990s, homeowners generally rejected it. But as the world changed and “sustainability” and “eco-friendly” became mainstream concepts in building materials, people began to take a longer, harder look at bamboo floors. And they found out it made a lot of sense for a number of different reasons, including durability and affordability. Today, bamboo flooring is not only acceptable but a source of pride for many homeowners. The bamboo floors come in a wide variety of styles and colors, and there are techniques to make it look like a traditional hardwood. Bamboo is now used in homes, busineses, and restaurants all over the U.S.
Bamboo Flooring Beginner's Guide
Applications
Bamboo Flooring is the most eco-friendly building material
There are bamboo floors for every situation, in a growing number of colors and styles. Bamboo from high quality suppliers like Ambient Bamboo Flooring, Plyboo Floors, Teragren Bamboo, EcoTimber is usually grown in managed forests in China, and the raw materials selected for use are of higher milling quality, density, and stability. Bamboo flooring can be used in homes, restaurants, commercial settings, basements, it has even been used on walls, ceilings, and as countertops.
Learn about Bamboo Flooring TypesFree Bamboo Flooring Guide
Bamboo Flooring Information At Your Fingertips
Bamboo Flooring Facts has taken great pains to give you all the info you need in one place. In fact, by the time you are done here at Bamboo Flooring Facts, your friends will be turning to YOU for advice! (You can also simply refer them here, thanks.) Just choose a subject below and click! If you don't find something you need please feel free to email us.
Features
Why bamboo has become the go-to flooring material?
Bamboo floors meet the strictest indoor air standards in the world, such as CARB Phase 2.
Testing shows that strand bamboo is the hardest wood in the market and can withstand spills, pets, and heavy foot traffic.
Bamboo floors are manageable for experienced contractors and DIY homebuilders and are easy to clean, cutting down on allergens and dirt.
Bamboo has a distinctive and unique marbled grain that is beautiful, inviting, and warm underfoot.
Made from a rapidly renewable resource, re-harvested every 5 years versus 40-80 years for hardwoods.
Comes in wide planks and premium lengths and cost just $3-$6 per square foot delivered, about half of comparable hardwoods.
Bamboo floors can be refinished at least twice the hardwood flooring although it's rarely needed in a residential setting.
Available in styles like click-lock and tongue & groove, can be installed over concrete, in basements, and more.
Gallery
Get Inspired By Browsing Our Collection Of Bamboo Flooring Photos
Testimonials
Customers Across the Globe Trust Bamboo Flooring
"Love love love my bamboo floors, they look so beautiful in our home. 4 years after we put them and still getting compliments. Handscraped and with a Janka rating over 3000, this is perfect for my pup to run around on. "
"The Strand Carbonized flooring holds up beautifully in our restaurant! Six months later we still absolutely love our new floors. Even our installers commented on the excellent engineering. Wonderful investment!"
"I just love the exotic look of the strand woven bamboo. It completely changed the look of our room to something we have to show everyone. We can not wait to replace the old beat up hardwood in the rest of our home!"
"We are so happy with the Tiger bamboo floors we installed at our Aveda Spa. Our clients comment on the beauty constantly! Furthermore, they hold up better than any other wood floor we have ever seen. Simply wonderful!"
FAQ
Most frequently asked questions about Bamboo Flooring to hep you out!
If you don't see an answer to your question, you can send us an email from our contact form.
See All FAQsMagical houses made of bamboo
They even inspired a song by Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian which made it to number 30 in the UK charts and have been the subject of several Ted Talks, like the one below- can any hardwoods boast that?
Bamboo Flooring - Is It For You?
Deciding on whether a bamboo floor is right for your home or your client’s home is an important choice that should be researched thoroughly like any other major home decision. As beneficial as bamboo flooring is to the environment and as cutting-edge and modern as it is, you’ll find that bamboo flooring information is limited and may be hard to come across. Whether you are a homeowner embarking on a few simple home improvement projects or an architect designing a business office downtown, including bamboo floors in your residential or commercial environment is the most outstanding renovation you can make. Read the bamboo flooring reviews and other information on this website to learn more.
Many Things to Consider
Now that you’re starting to get amped about bamboo flooring, there are of course many things to think about.
- What kind of bamboo should you use: Solid or engineered? Vertical and horizontal or strand woven?
- Floating or nail-down or glue-down?
- Should you risk trying to buy from a consignment bix box reseller or a reputable U.S. bamboo brand?
- Should you try to install a bamboo floor yourself or hire a pro? What kind of adhesives? How do you make sure the bamboo floor doesn’t warp or buckle?
Deep breath. Relax. We are here for you every step of the way to your new bamboo floor. Start slowly, read everything thoroughly. Then, know you’ve made an informed decision. And be sure to tell us so we can use your reviews and comments to help others.
Congratulations! You’ve completed the first chapter of your bamboo flooring adventure. And you probably now know at least 7 new things about bamboo and bamboo floors. But there is so much more to learn, grasshopper...