How to Choose Bamboo Flooring?

Bamboo flooring is really popular at present. Several of my friends installed bamboo flooring in their houses recently. And I also plan to have bamboo flooring in my living room.

Do you wonder why bamboo flooring is so popular? My reason for buying bamboo flooring is as follows:

The first reason I prefer bamboo flooring is that bamboo is renewable. It grows much faster than trees. So, when you are choosing bamboo products instead of wood ones, you are actually saving a forest.

Second, as a girl chasing novelty and elegance, I find bamboo flooring a ideal choice. Most bamboo flooring maintains the original appearance of bamboo somewhat. Therefore the floor looks quite natural.
The flooring I bought from Floor Bamboo, Inc. is made from Mao Bamboo. Do you know this kind of bamboo?. Oh, this bamboo grows mostly in China, a mythical and ancient Country in Orient. And this special Mao Bamboo is one of the hardest plants on earth.

Moreover, durability is another reason which makes me love bamboo flooring. Although bamboo is grass, its’ unique structure makes it very strong. It is as strong as maple and it much stronger than oak.

I told you that I just bought some flooring from Floor Bamboo, Inc. I had to say that buying floor is not a easy job. You have to do a lot of research on prices, quality, and warranty, etc. And I myself have already gone through this. So, I wish to share my experience with you here.

1. Price is absolutely a key factor for most people when buying flooring. The prices of bamboo flooring on market range quite different. But it is not necessarily the higher price, the better products. It is important to do a research and comparison, then choose a reasonable price, taking the quality in account.

2.Choose one type of bamboo flooring that fit you. As for structure, there are generally three kinds of bamboo flooring——strand-woven and grained.
The strand-woven bamboo is harder than traditional bamboo flooring, but the price is relatively higher.
Common and popular bamboo flooring is grained bamboo flooring. There are horizontal grained flooring and vertical grained one. For horizontal style, the strips are laid flat so the top surface shows the bamboo’s natural growth rings. While for Vertical grained style, the strips are turned on their sides and laminated together in long, slender rows creating a different appearance.

3.As for color processing, the traditional method is staining. Though carbonization may soft the bamboo a little, it is highly recommended. Carbonization is something of a high pressure heat treatment, which transforms the color of entire board inside out. In the process of carbonization, there is no adding manmade material. However, when staining, you have to use paint and the natural appearance of bamboo would be destroyed. More and more stores tend to supply carbonized bamboo flooring now. The flooring I bought from Floor Bamboo, Inc is also carbonized bamboo flooring.

4.Order 5%-10% extra flooring for waste.
To decide how much flooring you need, you have to measure the area of your room, which you plan to have bamboo flooring installed in. It is strongly recommended to order about 10% extra flooring for cutting, waste, and maybe, accidental damage in future. If the installation is not very smooth, and you did not order extra flooring. You will find it really troublesome to buy new ones. An the spare flooring really useful if there is some accident happen to your flooring, such as scratch or so.

5.Do not install bamboo flooring in bathroom or any place with too much moisture. Though bamboo flooring is moisture resistant, too much and longtime moisture will damage bamboo flooring and even make the flooring out of shape. If you insist having bamboo flooring installed in your bathroom, it is ok. But I have to remind you that the flooring installed in bathroom is out of warranty. So when you are buying flooring, pay special attention to the terms of warranty. This will helps you a lot in the long run.

That is some points of mine. I hope they will be of help to you when you are buying bamboo flooring.