Bamboo Flooring – Is It Better Than Cork Flooring?

Bamboo flooring is unlike any other material when it comes to covering a floor. Many homeowners are just now discovering why bamboo is becoming such a popular choice in new home construction as well as older homes. But is bamboo flooring a better choice than cork flooring? That all depends upon what characteristics the homeowner is looking for in a new floor.

Is the homeowner looking for a softer feel from the floor. If so, cork flooring is a terrific choice. Cork is a very soft material and has a nice sponge like effect when walking or standing on it. Cork also has a nice bounce back effect when something is dropped on it such as kids toys. However, because cork is a softer material than bamboo, it is easily scratched. When compared to cork, bamboo flooring is a much harder surface. It has most of the same properties as hardwood floors.

Another property that makes cork a terrific flooring choice is its capability to provide very good sound insulation. This makes cork an excellent choice for upstairs rooms in two story homes as well as specialized rooms such as home gyms and kids play rooms. Again, bamboo flooring has the same properties as hardwood floors and as such can be very noisy. Bamboo floors will often need to have sound insulation installed to reduce the noise level throughout the house.

There are some disadvantages to cork flooring when compared to bamboo wood flooring. The first disadvantage is that cork needs to be sealed to provide waterproofing and protection from dirt. Cork flooring makes a terrific floor choice for a bathroom or kitchen but it must be sealed to prevent any leakage from spills or cleaning. Another disadvantage of cork flooring is the limited number of patterns or colors. Many types of resilient flooring have numerous designs and colors to choose from but cork is limited in this aspect. Learn more about cork flooring by clicking on the link at http://www.wood-flooring-depot.com/cork_flooring.html.

When compared to bamboo floors, cork can be an excellent alternative for many homeowners. Bamboo flooring is much more popular and has some terrific properties that make it one of the floors of choice in new homes. However, cork flooring also has many great qualities as a flooring choice. There may be the need to use both types of flooring within the home depending on the needs and use of each room.