Bamboo flooring

Installing bamboo floors is the most environmentally friendly natural hardwood flooring alternative you can install in you home.  Check out these facts.

Bamboo flooring is a renewable resource

The bamboo grass is one of the fasted growing plants on the planet and yields 2500% higher usable biomass than traditional hardwood flooring tree sources.

It takes 4 - 5 years to grow to maturity, and once harvested continues to grow by forming new shoots.

Bamboo flooring is strong

With a tensile strength exceeding mild steel, bamboo can withstand up to 50,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, which meets or exceeds several grades of steel strength ratings of 50,000 psi ratings.

  
Less contraction and expansion

Bamboo floors have about half the contraction and expansion problems associated with solid hardwood flooring. There is much less chance of cupping or bulging of the floor product, and will perform better in higher humidity environments or areas with larger temperature variations.

Bamboo floors are unique and beautiful

Bamboo flooring has become trendy and will often stand out as a unique design element in your home that is beautiful and warm. Natural colorings of bamboo

are light tan and also a variety of richer caramelized amber tones developed with a smoking process during production. Bamboo flooring can also be purchased in over 30 pre-finished stain colors to match any interior decor.

Consistent coloring and even grain

Bamboo flooring in manufacturing in two basic grain alignments. The vertical grain orientation provides a very consistent and even coloring pattern, which is great for smaller spaces and can make them feel more open and roomy. Horizontal grain alignment patterns display the the unique bamboo joint features of the grass, and create a one of a kind flooring look.

Selecting bamboo protects the global environment

The reduction in earths ozone layer is directly linked to the mass of equatorial rainforests that encompass our planet. The hardwood species that grow in our rainforests are very slow growing, and once harvested, can take hundreds of years to replenish. By selecting bamboo flooring you reduce the consumption demand for rainforest hardwood material and help preserve the rainforests and their important environmental functions.

Indoor air quality issues -  select bamboo flooring carefully!

Many bamboo manufactures use glues that contain urea formaldehyde (UF) to bind the bamboo planks together in the manufacturing process. As all products that contain chemicals "off gas" the chemical emissions over their lifetime, it is important to minimize potentially dangerous chemicals brought inside your home. In 1987 the Environmental Protection Agency classified UF as a potential carcinogen. Do do your research carefully on bamboo floor products, many manufacturers still use glue containing UF compounds due to their efficiency and low cost. Look for manufacturers that certify they are 100% formaldehyde free.