Bamboo Flooring

About Bamboo Flooring  

When it comes to wood flooring, classic hardwood is usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, some less common varieties offer a series of advantages, sometimes being also a more budget-friendly option.  

Bamboo flooring is made out of the bamboo plant, commonly found in Asia. It’s hard and resilient, available in a plethora of designs. 

Advantages of Bamboo Flooring  

• Eco bamboo floors are an environmentally friendly, plant-based, healthy option
• Sustainable, fast-renewing resource - new stalks grow up to ten times faster than traditionally used trees such as oak
• More budget-friendly than standard timber flooring 
• Extremely durable with proper maintenance
• Ideal for high-traffic areas

Where to Use Bamboo Flooring

• Offices: Bamboo is an excellent choice for office flooring, although using a mat under the desk chair is recommended.
• Living areas: Bamboo floors perform excellently in high traffic areas. The use of the furniture protector pads is advised, in order to keep the surface in perfect condition. 
• Kitchens: Bamboo is durable enough for the kitchen. However, all spills should be immediately cleaned up.
• Bedrooms and kids rooms: Bamboo floors are great for bedrooms or nurseries, and slightly less so for kids rooms or playrooms. Even though bamboo is resistant to impacts up to a certain point, it’s strongly advised to use a padded area rug in these rooms. 
• Entrances and hallways: The convenience of using bamboo flooring in entrance areas depends on the local climate. Bamboo doesn’t perform well in constant moisture - it can still be used in moderately wet environments, but it’s recommended to place some protective coverings over it. 
• Bathrooms: Due to its properties, bamboo floors are not the best choice for a bathroom.

Types of Bamboo Flooring

There are three essential types of bamboo flooring construction. Other distinctions lie in colours, finishes and textures. 

Vertical Bamboo Flooring

Vertical bamboo comprises bamboo strips laid in a vertical direction. The grain pattern is clean and sleek, containing no visible texture or imperfections - which makes it ideal for modern interior decors. 

Horizontal Bamboo Flooring

Horizontal bamboo differs from vertical in the way the strips are positioned. Rather than vertically, the stripes are laid horizontally, in order to highlight the growth joints. Horizontal bamboo features a more organic, natural form with a prominent grain pattern.

Stranded Bamboo Flooring

While vertical and horizontal bamboo requires a milling process, strand-woven bamboo is formed from the excess part. The structure of compressed bamboo floors offers a variety of random patterns.

Bamboo Flooring Colors and Textures

• Natural bamboo is light blonde, neutral with a clear finish.
• Stained bamboo can be found in a broad range of shades and colours.
• Carbonized bamboo features dark, intense hues, achieved by the production process. Boiling the bamboo forces natural plant sugars to caramelise.
• Direct print bamboo offers versatile wood looks with convenient, budget-friendly properties. It can mimic the appearance of hardwoods, including oak, maple, cherry, or high-end, exotic species. The desired finish is imprinted to the bamboo before it’s pressurising and sealing. 
• Machine-milled bamboo is treated with several coats of finish to create a uniformly smooth, matte or glossy surface.
• Distressed and hand-scraped bamboo is finished manually or by a machine, in order to bring out a more rustic character of old, antique flooring. It can be lacquered or just brushed, offering the same advantages as regular flooring but with a rougher appearance.

Installation of Bamboo Flooring

There are several different ways to install bamboo flooring, most of which require underlayment.It will support and enhance the bamboo’s properties, including noise isolation and moisture resistance. The underlayment suitable for engineered wood floors is good for bamboo flooring, too. 

The floor should be levelled, clean, and dry prior to installation. It’s recommended to leave the bamboo planks in the mounting site a couple of days earlier, to help them adjust to the environment and temperature. 

When opting for installation using adhesive, at least 24h should be given to the finished floor to set, without traffic. 

A bamboo floor can also be installed via nails or click-together connection, similar to laminate or parquet flooring.

Bamboo Flooring Cleaning and Maintenance    

• This flooring can be kept clean by dust mopping or vacuuming with a soft brush. A damp mop is also an option, but the water should be used in moderation, and the cleaned floor should be dried thoroughly afterwards, with a soft, clean cloth.
• Spills or water and traces of wet footwear should be removed immediately with a sponge, dry cloth, or paper towel. 
• Soap-based detergents, abrasive cleaners, and combined aggressive cleaning products are not recommended to use on bamboo flooring. The same applies to steam cleaning.
• Steel wool and similar scouring pads will scratch and damage bamboo planks, hence best to avoid.
• Bamboo floors should not be polished or waxed.

Things to Consider When Choosing Bamboo Flooring

Engineered bamboo flooring planks are made from a bamboo substrate or plywood base, with a bamboo veneer on top. Their enhanced stability makes them an excellent choice for floating floors in very dry or damp environments. 

On average, vertical and horizontal bamboo can easily compete with classic hardwood in terms of solidity. However, the quality of the products can vary. The strand-woven version is exceptionally rigid, doubling the grade of the other bamboo flooring types on hardness scales.  

Like any other timber flooring, bamboo is prone to show surface damages and scratches, particularly on a glossy finish. Factory-applied finishes require more effort to replace but also offer durability superior to those implemented on-site. 

If you need assistance to find the right bamboo flooring for your home or office, ArchiPro provides a connection to the various professionals, ready to assist with all requirements and questions. Simply click "Contact supplier" on the product's page, or visit the supplier's website directly from the product's page.