Bamboo Flooring Pros And Cons
Quickly becoming very popular, bamboo flooring brings many positive qualities in your home flooring. Originating from Asia, it was grown, milled and made into flooring there for many hundreds of years. Bamboo is now becoming popular through flooring companies who have utilized new high-tech methods for processing hardwoods and laminates into specialized home flooring. This has resulted in the bamboo flooring's rapid growth, and in many cases taking the top positions as the preferred choice in both residential and commercial flooring applications.
There are many Pros of bamboo flooring and very few Cons, so overall it can be said that bamboo floors are a definite choice for the environmentally aware person who wants a floor that would last for decades. By taking a brief look into both sides of the coin you can make up your mind if bamboo is the right type of floor for you.
Starting with the positives, since bamboo is not a tree but a rapidly growing plant, the ecological benefits of using it instead of regular wood are great. Forests are ever diminishing with each year because of all the industries that cut massive amounts of trees for their production and floor manufacturing plays a big part in that. Bamboo effectively replaces these needs with its unique characteristics and ease of cultivation, treatment and preservation.
A big misunderstanding is that bamboo floors are expensive while it's quite the opposite, with the exception of hand-scraped models. Very inexpensive compared to traditional hardwood and stone floors, bamboo-made floor covers also require less maintenance care and their installation is straightforward. Bamboo floors can last a couple of decades if basic care is taken for their preservation. They are naturally resistant to infestation, moisture, dirt and weight load, and require just regular mop and sweep to keep at their best.
So far so good, but when it comes to negatives with bamboo floors, it's mostly to do with buying, maintenance and life style, than its actual properties. To start with, a bamboo floor should not be exposed excessively to direct sun light, so depending on your location it may not be a practical solution for your home. Just like hardwood, although not nearly as much, bamboo should be kept dry and any water spills should be taken care of immediately to avoid swelling and twisting of the spot which would lead to structural instability.
Many companies pretend to offer "superior" bamboo floor solutions and claim to have their own private source for bamboo harvesting. The truth is, any companies located outside the Pacific and China regions are nothing more than importers and floor processing agents. Although the majority of top brands are health standard approved, there are many dubious floor makers whose products end up emitting unhealthy levels of formaldehyde and this is especially dangerous to people who are allergic to the substance.
As you can see, the most disadvantages of bamboo flooring are easily taken care of by careful planning and observation of the available brands. With proper maintenance and following a few basic rules, bamboo flooring is not only going to enhance the appeal and value of your home, but provide a solution that keeps its look and color for many years.