Timber flooring has long been a primary choice for many people. It you want to avoid carpet or include the warm look of wood in your home, it’s been the best option for a long time.
However, that has changed in recent years. Bamboo flooring is an environmentally friendly, strong, lasting alternative to using timber flooring. Here’s some information about bamboo and how it performs against floating and solid timber.
Floating timber floors are one of the most popular types of floor. Made up of a thin layer of wood laminated over a less expensive material, they’re cheaper than solid hardwood. Bamboo floors, by comparison, can be made of solid bamboo. That’ll give you more durability over time, but cost less than solid timber. Bamboo is also much harder to damage than most woods.
Unlike a floating timber floor, bamboo flooring is permanently attached to the surface it rests on. That allows more stability and less opening of and movement in the joints between individual pieces of flooring.
Unlike both floating and solid timber floors, bamboo flooring doesn’t sound hollow when walked upon. It’s also a lot harder to scratch and easier to clean than either type of timber floor.
The lack of movement between the pieces of flooring also means that if your bamboo floor needs to be refinished, you’ll have a much better surface to work with than you would on solid timber. Veneered timber flooring cannot be refinished, since the wood surface is so thin.
Veneered timber flooring must be replaced if it’s damaged. Bamboo, on the other hand, can last another five to ten years if you have it resurfaced. It can even be resurfaced more times than just about any other floor type.
If you’ve got environmental concerns about the materials you put in your house, you’ll probably prefer bamboo. While both of them are renewable resources from natural sources, it takes a lot longer to replace timber forests. While veneered timber flooring uses less valuable hardwood in its manufacture, it relies on wood waste and softwoods to provide support for the veneer. Composites used in this material may use toxic glues, as well.
Bamboo, on the other hand, recovers rapidly from being harvested. A single bamboo grove can be harvested once every five years. Look for products with non toxic glues and water based surface coatings, and you’ll be able to be certain that there’s less damage from flooring manufacture, too.
You may find that bamboo looks a lot different than ordinary timber. While the appearance of this grass is appealing to many, it might not work out well if you really love the feel and look of hardwood. For many people, however, the lack of environmental damage and durability of bamboo makes the appearance change worthwhile.
Where contraction and expansion due to weather are problems, bamboo holds up well. Compared to a hardwood veneer, it can be resurfaced more often, and needs no treatments or waxing to keep looking good. However, some products do contain environmentally unfriendly glues - look for nontoxic types when you buy your flooring.
If you’ve been considering bamboo flooring, or just want to find out more, take a look online. There are lots of stores offering bamboo flooring that’ll last for years, feel a lot like hardwood, and be kind to the world around you.
