The bamboo flooring is well recognized, reliable and stable flooring with an amazing look. It is produced out of split bamboo strips which are laminated on plywood planks. Though bamboo is light in color by nature, the process of carbonization can darken it by applying pressure and steam to it. The result being, the bamboo floors can be chosen from a wide variety of colors ranging from blond to medium dark brown.
A number of unique qualities make this type of flooring a good choice. It is quite resistant to bends and dents which can be caused by blunt impacts. In fact, this characteristic of the bamboo floor is better than most hardwood floorings. Bamboo has been recognized not only for its elasticity but also for its hardness. The wood hardness rating in bamboo is 1800, which far more exceeds those of hard maple, which has the rating of 1450 and white oak, rated at 1360.
Based on its natural origin in tropical areas, the bamboo has resistance to water. Even then, it does get affected by moisture and tends to contract and expand with the change in moisture. Also, it is stainable. Applying an extra coat of wax or polyurethane is recommended if you are planning to use it in the bathroom or kitchen. This extra coating makes sure that you get stain free flooring. You can refer to the manufacturer's instructions for this process.
The main benefit of bamboo is that it can grow in some years and makes it an environment friendly material. People who understand this and are concerned how the rain forests are getting destroyed may consider using bamboo floorings in their homes.
Such floorings can be comfortably installed on the traditional sub-floors. The already finished tongue and groove strips can be nailed, glued or stapled as per the floating floor installation. Always remember to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer, which are enclosed in a package with flooring, if you are planning self installation. It is suggested to leave the flooring material in the room for a couple of days before installation, which would allow it to get used to the room temperature and humidity. The bamboo flooring will have to be applied with finishing material every few years as it can not be sanded.
The bamboo flooring is rated high by us, based on factors like cost efficiency, simple installation and environment friendly source.