April 30th, 2010 3:06 am
Bamboo wood flooring provides an excellent alternative to traditional residential flooring. Growing in popularity as an alternative, bamboo flooring has many attractive features that make it a viable option for modern homeowners. Although harvested primarily in China, bamboo flooring is now widely available in North America and Europe. Many of those that adopted bamboo flooring early on point out its environmental friendliness. The bamboo plant regrows very quickly when compared with the time it takes a forest to regrow. In fact, the bamboo plant is considered a grass, as it grows much quicker than any tree. When done responsibly, bamboo plant harvesting can be accomplished in a environmentally friendly manner.
How does bamboo wood flooring compare with traditional hardwoods? High quality bamboo flooring is harder and more durable than even the most expensive hardwood flooring. Moisture is also less of a problem for bamboo flooring. Where traditional hardwood may cup and crown because of water exposure, bamboo flooring will keep out water without a problem. Bamboo flooring is processed as a laminate and treated under very high pressure with a high quality adhesive. This makes bamboo flooring extremely hardy and resistant to abrasion, where a hardwood floor would end up showing scratches. Bamboo flooring has become a great deal more affordable in recent times as well.
Best of all, bamboo flooring can typically be installed at home without any professional assistance. Like many of the newer hardwoods, bamboo flooring is made with a groove that allows the planks to interlock, making them considerably easier to install. Prior to laying down a bamboo floor, let the planks sit in their new environment for no less than 72 hours. Although bamboo flooring does not suffer from water damage like hardwood, they do need some time to adjust to the new environment before installation.
What should be done to maintain a bamboo floor? Maintenance requirements are fairly easy for bamboo flooring. Make certain to sweep and mop the floor after it is laid down. Regular dusting and sweeping should be done after installation. This will prevent a build up of dust that can dull the finish. A mat used at the entrance way will keep out a great deal of dust and dirt. Dirt and small rocks will end up damaging the finish, and a mat can do a great deal to prevent this problem.
Tags: bamboo flooring, bamboo wood flooring, flooring, residential flooring