There are many different types of bamboo flooring available on the market today. Home owners wishing to upgrade the look and feel of their living space may seriously want to consider upgrading to ecofriendly bamboo. The look is similar to traditional hardwood flooring with a more unique and light feel to it. Almost any style of bamboo flooring will brighten up a room considerably, but lets take a brief look at the different types of flooring that you can consider when updating your home.
Strand woven bamboo is a type of bamboo flooring that is made by taking the strands of the plant and using a durable type of resin under high pressure to fuse the strands together. This creates a durable flooring surface – the most durable of any of the types of bamboo available on the market today. The reason strand woven bamboo is so durable is because it is the densist and hardest due to the pressurizing process. The look of stranded bamboo is also unique to other types of wood flooring. The visible “grain” is much less linear than what most people are accustomed to. If you enjoy the look, stranded bamboo is excellent for high traffic areas and any other part of your home in general.
Some people prefer the knotted look of traditional hardwood flooring. If this type of look is important to you, solid bamboo plank flooring may be the option that you prefer. It is very popular because of its looks, but it does have drawbacks over strand woven bamboo as it is not nearly as durable. Solid bamboo is comparable to other types of softer hardwood flooring materials like maple. You will need to take extra care in high traffic areas to avoid marring the floor.
Which ever type of bamboo flooring that you prefer, light shades rule the day. Bamboo isn’t available in as many shades as hardwood flooring. Darker colors are acheived through heating the bamboo material prior to finishing. While this can provide more color options, the process of adding heat does weaken the bamboo’s structure somewhat. With strand woven bamboo this won’t be nearly as noticable as with a solid plank flooring. If a sturdy, dark colored wood flooring is your preference, you may be better served with hardwood alternatives.