Comparison between Bamboo Flooring and Other Solid Wood Flooring

Bamboo flooring is fast becoming a competitor in the western flooring market, rising in popularity alongside laminates and other types of solid wood flooring. It is important that you gain a general understanding of the pros and cons of each type of flooring before you buy, so we have compiled a brief guide to help you make up your mind.

Bamboo Flooring Compared to Solid Wood Flooring

Similarities:

Daily maintenance and cleaning requirement are similar for most Bamboo and hardwood floorings, regardless of which finish is used. Light sweeping and/or vacuuming are required weekly (though preferably daily if you really want to keep it pristine) followed by dust or damp mopping only. You should never wet mop any type of hardwood floor. As with most laminate flooring, neither bamboo nor any other solid wood copes well in overly moist environments. For wet areas such as bathrooms or wet-entry areas, your best option if you desire a wood-effect flooring is unquestionably a waterproof laminate. As well as this, as between different types of hardwood, bamboo shares many common features as well as some pointed differences.

Almost every type of hardwood flooring can be sanded down and refinished if needed, though bamboo is notoriously harder to refinish than most traditional types of timber. It is said though, that if properly looked after, a bamboo floor will almost never need to be refinished in the flooring’s lifespan (where other hardwood floors may need to be refinished several times).

Differences:

The key difference between bamboo and every other hardwood flooring is in appearances. Because bamboo planks are made from a number of shoots compressed together, they have a quite unique outward appearance when compared to standard wood. Another difference between bamboo hardwood floors and other hardwoods, is that other hardwoods are actually wood!

Bamboo is actually a type of grass and, because of this fact, has a distinct advantage over conventional wood types in terms of eco-friendliness. A usable shoot of bamboo will spring up and mature within three to six years, whereas the average tree will take several times as long (and a fair bit more on top) before it can be felled and milled. In this way bamboo is often seen as preferable, but in truth an older and larger tree will provide a good deal more lumber in the long-run.

Hardness varies from wood to wood, as it does from wood to bamboo. Bamboo hardness also varies from bamboo to bamboo, depending on whether or not it has been carbonised. Carbonisation alters the colour of bamboo planks from their natural light shade to a darker caramel colour. Unfortunately, the process also softens the wood. Un-carbonised bamboo is harder than both white and red oak, whilst carbonised bamboo is softer than both (but still remains harder than the average cherry wood floor).

Cost

At the end of the day, the usual factors such as appearance or durability may become secondary considerations when you come to consider your budget. Bamboo usually costs roughly the same as the less-expensive varieties of other hardwood flooring. By this token it is usually on a par with high-end laminates, including waterproof types, though this is just a purchase price. The fitting, that you will most probably have to pay for with bamboo and hardwood types, can be avoided if you are prepared to take laminate and do it yourself.