Bamboo has been around for millions of years and all of its uses have not been discovered yet. It is a very versatile product and the most popular item that it is used for in today's world is bamboo flooring. This high quality flooring has become very popular. This is also a renewable source, which adds to its popularity.
There are many reasons for choosing a bamboo floor. First of all, the beauty of this product is incomparable. It is also bug resistant and very durable, which makes it a natural for floor covering. This flooring is pre fabricated and ready to install and is truly natural flooring that looks like real wood. Bamboo flooring comes in many styles and finishes and will add warmth and elegance to any home when it is installed. The most exciting thing about bamboo is that it is a Green product and that means we are not hurting the environment by using it. It is an easily renewable product that can be put to many uses.
There are three types of bamboo flooring. The first is a solid, which means it comes in various lengths and can be glued or nailed to attach it. The second one is engineered bamboo, which is much like the laminate flooring that floats over the surface. The third is strand woven, which means that strands of bamboo have been woven together to make the most durable floor possible. In fact, some say a bamboo floor is bomb proof. This product is certainly worth considering when you are deciding which flooring would be best for your home.
When you're ready to buy your bamboo flooring, you have to be careful when selecting it. Bamboo can grow in a year, but it takes at least four more years for it to mature and harden properly. Be careful when you're buying that you are not getting mixed bamboo, as this can lead to warping or mold. This flooring can also come in a very dark rich finish through a process called carbonizing. The longer it is carbonized, the darker the flooring will be. The finish on bamboo floors is almost as important as the bamboo itself. You have to make sure that the finish is very durable to protect the bamboo underneath.
If you decide to install this flooring yourself, open the box of bamboo flooring and leave it at room temperature for at least 72 hours. You have to keep the room at a constant moisture level, even if it means using a humidifier. This will allow the bamboo to swell or shrink before you install it and will prevent gaping or warping later on. Be sure you seal all the edges carefully because there must be no place where water can get underneath your flooring. The care you give a bamboo floor is about the same as you would give any other wood floor. To keep it looking its best, wipe up any spills immediately and don't wear footwear that may scratch it. It will give you many years of good service if you take the proper care.
If you've been searching for a new floor covering recently you may well have come across bamboo flooring. Although a relative newcomer to the flooring scene, bamboo floors are rapidly becoming a favored consumer choice. The reasons for its popularity are many, so read on to discover why you might want to choose bamboo too!
Everyone knows that bamboo is actually a grass, but most people are surprised to hear that its strength surpasses that of some of the typical hardwoods used in flooring manufacture. It also has a number of very similar visual characteristics, can be milled in much the same way as timber and is therefore easily formed into planks just like hardwood floors are.
- An Earth Friendly Option
Nowadays, consumers are more frequently looking to make ?Green? home improvements. Bamboo flooring has become a favored option in this regard and has proven itself as a viable and environment friendly alternative to a hard wood floor. With bamboo, there is no need to fell vast areas of centuries old forests and jungles to obtain timber for manufacturing. Bamboo is instead harvested from enormous groves located throughout Asia, where it grows in abundance, and once a bamboo pole is cut it will regenerate itself to again reach maturity within an extremely rapid three to five years.
- Choices Galore
To serve this ever-growing sector of the flooring market, numerous manufacturers, such as Envirochoice, Panda Lumber, Ming Dynasty and Westhollow now produce bamboo flooring in a wide array of stunning color shades and hues including Natural, Carbonized and Dark. To suit those with different visual tastes, grain orientations like Vertical or Horizontal are available in addition to hand scraped planks that display an even more characteristic look. Installation options include nail down for permanent installations or floating planks with snap lock joints that are ideal for those that prefer the Do-It-Yourself approach to installing their floor.
- A Floor That Pays for Itself
Another attraction to bamboo flooring is its price. Although bamboo shares an appearance that is similar to some expensive wooden floorings, it won't cost you anything near what a hardwood floor does. With prices starting at a very affordable $2.00 per square foot, bamboo is certainly an option worthy of further consideration.
Wooden floors have been proven to help increase the value of a home, and bamboo is no exception in this regard. In many instances, bamboo flooring can actually be considered as a purchase that will see a return on investment if the property should be sold. Not selling? Don't worry, you'll have one of the best looking floors in the neighborhood, as well as one that looks a million dollars!
Owners need never worry about bamboo flooring standing the test of time either. Warranties of 25 years are common, and even a Lifetime Warranty is provided by some manufacturers.
With so many great things going for it, isn't time you thought about moving bamboo to the top of your list of flooring choices!
Both Tom Sample & Tom Willmar are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.