Bamboo Flooring 101

Selecting bamboo flooring brings a warm, and comfortable feel that’s serene and down-to-earth.  The durability makes it a candidate for high traffic areas in the home.  However, it can’t work in every room of the home.  Let’s begin with the rooms in your home where bamboo works the best.

• Kitchen
• Living Room
• Hallway
• Foyer
• Laundry Room
• Bedroom
• Attic
• Basement

Bamboo works in these rooms because the durability will hold up against the high-traffic in these rooms.  Any slip, fall or shatter on the floor won’t damage the bamboo in any way.  The tropical background of bamboo gives it a high-climate, humidity limit that works so well in kitchens and laundry rooms.

Previously mentioning how bamboo won’t work in all areas of the home, it doesn’t mesh well in bathrooms, decks, or as outdoor flooring because there is too much moisture in that environment for the bamboo to handle.

Install bamboo based on floor conditions and design ideas for the room. It’s great for stripped, bare floors and equally great on top of existing floors.  Choose from your selection of the following:

• Engineered bamboo flooring (horizontal strips to look like a hardwood floor)
• Solid bamboo flooring (hardwood-like flooring from vertical cuts)
• Strand-woven bamboo (strips of compressed bamboo)

Strand-woven bamboo can transform into any flooring color to match other floors in the home.  Buyers can get dark, cherry and other shades of colored bamboo and not settle for the standard bamboo color.  Before installing the first bamboo, consider the temperature of the room as well as how often the bamboo will be in use.  You want the bamboo to adjust to the cold or warm space for best results.

All homes have more than one type of flooring.  Add bamboo as one of them.  Bamboo can be an inexpensive and eco-friendly option.