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Bamboo Flooring: Environmentally Friendly, But How Good Is It?

By
Home Inspector with Diadem Property Inspections - Serving Southeast Michigan

Bamboo Flooring: Environmentally Friendly, But How Good Is It?

Bamboo flooring is growing in popularity. If you head to the local Lowe's or Home Depot, you find it in their flooring section. Turn on HGTV and you can find it featured on several different shows.

Bamboo is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood flooring. It is a grass, not a wood, and grows in tropical regions where hot, humid and rainy conditions exist year-round. And it can grow 24 inches a day, given the right soil conditions. These two factors make bamboo both a sustainable product and a naturally moisture-resistant product.

But will it work in a house?

bamboo flooring

The Verdict

Yes, it is a pretty good material for flooring, especially in kitchens and bathrooms.

As bamboo flooring is laminated, it is less prone to warp. And it even beats hardwood when it comes to the "dropping something really heavy" test that inevitably happens in the kitchen. The softest bamboo product is harder than white oak flooring.

 

Going Green

Using building products made from sustainable resources is becoming more and more popular.

This makes using bamboo a logical choice, because bamboo matures to about fifty feet and is ready to harvest within five years. And unlike trees, after bamboo is harvested, it re-grows on the same plant, harvest after harvest.

Contrast that to hardwood trees, which take at the minimum 30 years to mature. So bamboo is the natural choice for the environment.

 

Tips

  • When selecting bamboo flooring, purchase a little extra in case you need to replace a small amount later. Matching bamboo can be difficult if it comes from a different production batch.
  • Bamboo flooring only needs to be swept to remove the dirt, dust and other natural particles that are brought in everyday. Mop once a week or as needed depending on the amount of traffic and outside conditions.
  • Bamboo with a horizontal grain in a light, natural shade will be the hardest and most durable.
  • Bamboo with a vertical grain and a natural shade would be slightly softer.
  • Although it is considered a hard floor, bamboo isn't as stressful on legs and feet as other traditional flooring.

 

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Jason Channell     Twitter - Home Inspection LinkedIn Twitter - Home Inspection

Diadem Property Inspections
(888) 699-8710

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Michigan Builder's License 2101198700
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International Indoor Air Quality Commission CC1983 --  Indoor Environmental Certified Consultant

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Comments (11)

Pat Tasker
Shorewest Realtors - Germantown, WI
Your Milwaukee Metro Area Agent (WI)

I just saw a Bamboo laminate floor, and thought "whats the point?"...so thanks for this info!

Dec 05, 2010 02:16 PM
Sharon Lord
Maracay Homes - Peoria, AZ
New Home Advisor

Jason - THANK YOU for sharing!  I was curious how good of a product it was - saw it at IKEA, which is known for low prices but not necessarily high quality...and now Lowe's and Home Depot.

Sharon Lord
Argent Decor
AZ Vacation Home Furnishing Service

Dec 05, 2010 02:18 PM
Juli Vosmik
Dominion Fine Properties - Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale/Cave Creek, AZ real estate 480-710-0739

Jason, do you have any more information on this?  Are there any estimates on the lifespan of the flooring, since it's relatively new?  Since it's bamboo, does it do better in humid areas than wood which is denser? Is it porous or soft like alder and prone to denting?

Dec 05, 2010 02:21 PM
Juli Vosmik
Dominion Fine Properties - Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale/Cave Creek, AZ real estate 480-710-0739

Oh, and you made mention of darker bamboo versus lighter - I thought that was only in the staining? 

Dec 05, 2010 02:23 PM
Vickie Slade
Colorado Landmark, Realtors - Boulder, CO
Service You Can Trust ~ Someone You Can Depend On

Jason,  we see a lot of bamboo flooring being installed here in the Boulder area.  Boulder is one of the cities leading the way in green products and lifestyles, so it isn't surprising.  Buyers here love the look of the bamboo and they like even more what it stands for.

Dec 05, 2010 02:30 PM
Jay Lloyd
Cape Coral Florida - Cape Coral, FL
Allpro Home Inspection

Hi Jason, we see a lot of this here in SW Florida and it does hold up well even in the hottest humid months. jay

Dec 05, 2010 02:34 PM
Sheila Newton Team Anderson & Greenville SC
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - C. Dan Joyner - Anderson, SC
Selling the Upstate since 1989

Jason, thanks for this info. I was considering ceramic for my kitchen but I may rethink that and do bamboo now..... I was afraid of water getting on it in the kitchen...

Dec 05, 2010 03:05 PM
Sylvia Bulanek
Bee's Graphic Design | Corona | Inland Empire - Corona, CA
Graphic Design and Marketing

The bamboo flooring looks good and never thought of it before. I will have to show my husband and tell my friends.

Thanks Jason.


Sylvia



Dec 05, 2010 03:30 PM
Jason Channell
Diadem Property Inspections - Serving Southeast Michigan - Troy, MI
The House Sleuth

Pat -- Thanks for the comment.

Sharon -- It works a lot better than it sounds. When I hear "bamboo," I think of jungles and tall grass, not excellent flooring products.

Juli -- Hi. It is very resistant to humidity and water spills. As for denting, it is slightly more resistant than white oak to such marring.

Dec 06, 2010 10:18 AM
Jason Channell
Diadem Property Inspections - Serving Southeast Michigan - Troy, MI
The House Sleuth

Jay -- How's it going? Thanks for the comment! If it holds up to Florida's humidity... well, it doesn't get much more humid than that.

Sheila -- I'm biased toward ceramic tile (for looks), but I really shouldn't write that in this post.

Sylvia -- Thanks for the comment!

Dec 06, 2010 10:21 AM
Carol Zingone
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Florida Network Realty - Jacksonville Beach, FL
Global Realtor in Jax Beach, FL - ABR, CRS, CIPS

I have always liked eco-friendly products, and like bamboo flooring; I have, however, seen it in heavy traffic areas, and it does not seem to take heavy traffic well over periods of time. 

Dec 13, 2010 11:03 PM