Is Bamboo Right For Me?
An increasingly popular option in new homes and renovations is now bamboo flooring. You need to understand both the advantages and the disadvantages of using this material before deciding if it fits best for your project.
Advantages of Bamboo
For many, advantages like eco-friendliness, durability, suitability, cost, variety of styles, warmth and ease of maintenance make the bamboo flooring an easy choice.
Environmentally Friendly
For building a “green” place, bamboo is an excellent choice due to being one of the most environmentally friendly products for flooring on the market. This type of flooring is made out of a grass so it grows quickly compared to wood and doesn’t need replanting, and for those of you who are worried about moisture and insects, the bamboo used for flooring is treated against them, but does not use any harsh chemicals or pesticides in the process.
The organization that certifies buildings in the matter of environmental friendliness, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED),which uses the Green Building Rating System developed by the United States Green Building Council(USGBC) as a set of standards for measuring the environmentally friendliness of a particular building, certified this type of flooring as “green” and named it one of the best flooring options for this status.
This type of flooring is made out of the Moso species of bamboo, meaning that it is a completely different bamboo than what pandas and other animals eat, meaning that it protects the food sources stocking the wildlife too.
Durable
The scale used to determine the hardness and strength of particular species of wood, more specifically “The Janka Hardness Scale”, rates solid bamboo flooring at 1762 and engineered bamboo flooring at 1690,making both of the choices harder than other types of wood, like Red and White Oaks, Caribbean and North American Walnut, Brazilian and others. The rating determined by The Janka Hardness Scale means how much force it takes to drive a .444-inch steel ball into a plank of wood .222 inches in diameter. The higher the rating on the scale, the higher the hardness and durability of the flooring.
Because it can stand up very well to the abrasion caused by children or pets, and can easily be subjected to extensive usage, bamboo flooring is a highly durable flooring choice for any location of this type. Taking that into consideration, it can withstand impacts from falling objects, as well as high traffic areas such as living rooms or hallways, and even kitchens.
Bamboo is better than concrete regarding the compressive strength and about the same strength- to-weight ratio as steel when subjected to tension, yet it is kinder to the body. When put to the test along with hardwood or concrete, bamboo gave a nicer experience with less strain and stress for the legs, feet and knees.
Climatic Suitability
Compared to hardwood and other flooring options, bamboo has a high climatic suitability because it grows in the tropics and this makes it a suitable option for the kitchen and laundry rooms, areas where hardwood does not work so well. Due to the fact that it doesn’t swell and contract like hardwood, bamboo does very well in both arid and humid climates.
Cost Effective
When keeping in mind the eco-friendly factor and the durability combined with looks of a flooring, bamboo flooring is one of the most cost effective options due to the fact that it is less likely to need any repairs in the long term.
Variety
Bamboo flooring has an option guaranteed to please any taste or style needed. With the natural grain that provides an unique look, and with the three main options for color: the natural bamboo-light blonde color, the carbonized bamboo- darker in color because of the caramelization of the sugar in the plants due to longer boiling time, and the stained bamboo- colored with a variety of stains available in light, medium and dark shades, this type of flooring can fulfill any requirements.
If you want the strength and durability of bamboo with the look of another type of floor, there is the option of direct printing. Suited to fit in any décor, the pattern of any type of flooring is directly printed on the bamboo before the flooring planks are sealed.
Warmth
Because of the natural look and feel of the material, bamboo flooring adds an extra touch to the home and providing a naturally attractive material may even evoke a sense of serenity.
Maintenance
Another selling point for bamboo flooring is how easy it is to take care of because special cleaning agents are not needed and should actually be avoided. Sweeping the floor is usually enough to clean it though sometimes, a damp mop can be used. In order to keep the flooring healthy, the mop should not be too wet when cleaning the floor.
Disadvantages of Bamboo
There are a couple of them to acknowledge, even the advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages. For example, bamboo cannot be installed in high-moisture rooms can be difficult to cut if you are not using the correct saw blade (a cross-cut blade works best).
Cannot Install Throughout the Home
Although it is suitable for high traffic areas like the kitchen and the laundry room, bamboo is not that well suited for outdoor use or areas with large amounts of moisture.
Where to Install Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring can be installed in almost any room, above or below the ground, over wood, Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and existing vinyl flooring with focusing on high traffic areas (examples: the living room, and hallways), as well as areas prone to scratching and denting (such as the kitchen, laundry room, and bedrooms).
Where Bamboo Should Not Be Installed
Bamboo flooring is not suitable in areas prone to excessive wetness (such as bathrooms), and it is to be avoided the outdoor areas or areas that require wet mopping, along with extended exposure to moisture that can cause warping, bending or swelling to the bamboo flooring.