Everyone is concerned about using green products and saving our natural resources even in home building and furniture. On average, it takes about 100 years for a hard wood tree to fully mature into the wood that is seen in those beautiful hardwood floors. On the other hand, it only takes 3 to 5 years for bamboo to mature into the size seen in beautiful bamboo floors, and they are not trees, they are actually a grass that will readily replenished without replanting. In some parts of the world this is their only livelihood, harvesting bamboo. Lets compare Bamboo flooring pros and cons.
The be
nefit of bamboo compared to hardwood is mostly the price, which can be quite a substantial difference, both in terms of material and labor. Most homeowners simply do not have the time or the knowledge to install their own hardwood flooring, as most hardwood is installed with a very large nail gun directly to the sub-floor and then must be sanded and stained to finish. The bamboo is typically in the form of a tongue and groove style installation, which comes in 3 to 6 foot lengths and is very homeowner-friendly to install with minimum hand tools and can be finished in a weekend by the average DIYer. The bamboo flooring is pre-finished so there is no sanding or staining required, and the flooring can be nailed, glued or floated over a dense padding designed specifically for this type of flooring.
The trade-off is the fact that bamboo floors are just not as hard and sturdy as hardwood floors, due to the natural characteristics of the bamboo, it is actually a grass. The shades of bamboo range from light to dark, with the lighter shades being more durable, as the bamboo is heated to achieve the darker shades and the bamboo becomes softer and easier to mar the longer it is heated. When you shop for bamboo, take your fingernail and press into the wood, this will give you an indication of how the flooring will stand up in your home. There are of course different qualities of bamboo as well, you can range from $1.65 per foot up to $4.95 per foot. This is still a savings of up to 50% over traditional hardwood floors.
Depending on your lifestyle, bamboo floors may be the choice for you. As with any home project I would suggest that you do your homework and review bamboo flooring pros and cons to choose the best product that will work for you and your needs.
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