Bamboo flooring may have been around for centuries in Asia, but lately, these floors have been skyrocketing in popularity all around the world. The reason? They are durable, affordable, and add a sense of elegance to any home. Whether you are remodeling an existing home or building one from scratch, bamboo flooring is a great way to go when you know the look you want to achieve.
Hardwood Bargains is going to take you through some of the pros and cons of bamboo flooring to help you decide whether it will take your ideal house to the next level of beauty.
Bamboo Flooring Pros and Cons
Bamboo is a type of hardwood that has gone through treatments to make it strong and flexible. This usually involves slicing the hull of the plant (culms) and then processed for color, stability, and form. There are a few different types of bamboo flooring based on how the strands are put together: vertical, horizontal, and strand-woven.
Vertical and horizontal mainly differ in their aesthetics, but strand-woven bamboo flooring is the most durable and expensive type. So, let’s dive into the pros and cons of bamboo flooring as a whole in the sections below.
Bamboo Pros
Plenty of people have found that bamboo floors elevate their aesthetic design and swear by them in their houses. Obviously, there are many pros to bamboo flooring, so let’s take a sneak peek.
Affordable
If you’re expecting to pay between $5-8.00 per square foot already for your hardwood floors, then you’re in luck with bamboo; it won’t run you any extra. Professional installation will usually add around $4.00 or $5.00 extra per square foot.
Possible to DIY
Unlike many types of hardwood flooring, bamboo doesn’t require any heavy machinery or nails. Instead of nailing down your floors, you usually glue it down, which is much easier for DIY installers. Depending on the size and complexity of the rooms you want the flooring laid in, you might still decide to get a professional installation, but bamboo is often one of the easier flooring types if you are enterprising enough to lay your own floors.
Renewable
These days, more and more people are worried about their usage of hardwood and other plant materials that can take decades to regrow. With bamboo, that worry is practically eliminated! Bamboo is a fast-growing plant that is widely available in many places.
There’s certainly no shortage of bamboo, and even if everyone jumped on the bamboo bandwagon, it is very easy to replenish bamboo fields since it only takes about five years for a stalk to be ready for harvest. Plus, you can harvest the same stalk repeatedly, as opposed to trees which can only be felled once.
Durable
Even if you don’t choose strand-woven bamboo floors, all engineered bamboo is just as durable as your average hardwood choices. That means they can sustain heavy furniture, the daily wear and tear from your kids and pets, as well as whatever else your life may throw at them without losing their beauty.
Easy To Clean
All you need is some mild soap and a mop to clean your bamboo floors. No more going out to find expensive wood cleaners or constantly worrying that the slightest spill might mean the end of your new floors.
Bamboo Cons
Before you rush out to buy all new bamboo floors, there are some things that you should keep in mind when you’re making a decision.
Scratches Easily
While it’s true that bamboo floors are plenty durable, some of the cheaper options do have a tendency to get marked up by scratches and dents. This depends a lot on where you buy the flooring from, but some bamboo floors can retain slight scratches and dents, which can diminish their overall look and might require refinishing them more often than you’d like.
Questionable Manufacturing
Unfortunately, one of the biggest issues worldwide is knowing what goes into making a product, and bamboo flooring is no exception. The majority of bamboo floors are produced in various countries that lack the focused scrutiny that the United States has. This means that it’s hard to know if manufacturers are abiding by labor laws and which ingredients they’re adding to their final product.
Depending on the factory or manufacturer, the bamboo’s quality can vary drastically (not to mention the enormous shipping costs involved in bringing it over from overseas). Some of the adhesives used by untrustworthy companies can even contain toxins, which you definitely don’t want in your floors! The best way to find responsible manufacturers is to look for ones who have been certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council.
Absorbent
Depending on where you live, bamboo flooring might not be the right choice for your dream home. If you live somewhere that is often very humid, susceptible to rain, or with small children or pets who frequently have accidents on your floors, it’s important to know that bamboo does not stand up to water very well. These floors are naturally absorbent, even after the drying and gluing process.
To prevent this, strand-woven bamboo is dipped in resin which protects against water damage more than other types of bamboo floors, but it still isn’t as resistant as other flooring materials like tile or laminate. This is also a good reason not to have bamboo flooring in bathrooms or even kitchens.
Small Range of Aesthetics
This isn’t exactly a con, per se, but unlike other types of hardwood floors, bamboo only comes in a few shades. It has a very distinctive look and feel, which is great for people who are looking for that aesthetic or are going for a sleek modern vibe, but it may not match with everyone’s décor. Just be aware that you won’t have as many options with bamboo as you might have with other woods.
Preserving Your Bamboo Floors
If you decide that bamboo floors are the way to go, you should keep a few things in mind to ensure that they stay looking nice for as long as possible. Every flooring type needs some kind of maintenance to keep it sturdy and sleek for the years to come.
Although you can refinish bamboo, just like hardwood floors, it’s better to take precautions now and save yourself the time and effort (not to mention the expense!) later.
Watch Out For Pets
It’s probably best to invest in bamboo flooring if you don’t have a rambunctious household with dogs, children, or other things that will scratch up your floors. If you do have pets, make sure you keep their nails trimmed short to prevent as many scratches as possible.
Another option is to add a few rugs in areas where your pets like to spend their time during the day. If you know your dogs like to be in the TV room with you, put in a few rugs for them to lay on so their claws aren’t scrabbling against your lovely bamboo floors.
Beautiful Bamboo
Bamboo floors are a wonderful option for people (or home-owning pandas) with calm households who are seeking a sleek, modern aesthetic. Just be sure to keep all the pros and cons of bamboo in mind when making a decision about what kind of flooring your household needs, and pretty soon, you’ll be DIYing your way toward your dream home with the perfect floors!
Sources:
The Pros and Cons of Bamboo Flooring | DIY Network
