Bamboo Flooring Portland, OR
—— Established 2007
Eco Floors is Portland, OR’s finest bamboo flooring company. We offer certified eco friendly materials, expert installation, and over 125 years of company wide experience. Our knowledgable staff can answer any questions you have to inform your purchasing decision. Continue reading below to learn more about bamboo.
Table of Contents
01. The Vibe
“Keep Portland Weird” - A phrase that has since evolved to celebrate our city's quirky character, independent arts, and eccentric lifestyle. Bamboo flooring is one of those materials that fits that ethos, while also scratching our communities itch for sustainability. Simply put, It can give a home character while still feeling natural.
Why Portland Home Owners Choose Bamboo
02. The Material
Bamboo flooring packs many of the benefits of traditional hardwood floors but is more rapidly renewable (we rank it #2 in materials we sell behind only cork), and is often times more durable. Most Bamboo flooring is constructed of Moso bamboo; a unique type of bamboo native to the deciduous woodlands of China. Moso Bamboo is truly incredible. This giant stock is not a tree, but a grass with a hard wooden stem known as a culm. Moso Bamboo has greater compressive strength than concrete, making it an extremely durable flooring option excellent for high-traffic areas. It is a rapidly renewing resource, as it can be re-harvested every 5.5-6 years without harming the mother plant. It Grows around 1 meter daily and can reach its full mature height of 80 feet within just 2 months!
Is Bamboo Flooring For You?
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We scored bamboo flooring #3 on our eco friendly comparison , behind only cork and hardwood. as with most thing in life, you get what you pay for. Not all bamboo flooring manufacturers use low or no VOC adhesives when bonding their strips. The last thing you want is for your newly installed floor to off the gas in your home. Additionally, many of these companies will not sustainably source their bamboo which can result in a defective product, and serious damage to bamboo forests.
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No, this is not our specialty. We do not offer to match materials for customers at this time, unless the project requires at least 1 room.
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The answer depends on the client. Bamboo flooring is best for the individual who likes hardwood flooring but wants something unique and more durable. It can go in all the places you’d traditionally put hardwood floors but it has a better chance of maintaining its appearance in the areas where hardwood might wear down quicker. For example, an individual with a growing family and young kids might consider strand-woven bamboo because of its exceptional hardness and dent resistance. It would also be good for a higher traffic office, or a retail shop.
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Yes, in every way but two - water and scratch resistance. Bamboo is sustainable, it generally has lower VOC’s, and is similarly dent resistant. LVP is often considered water proof, so it will perform significantly better in areas prone to spills or moisture getting tracked in, and it is more scratch resistant. Most clients considering bamboo would not be considering a vinyl floor because they appreciate the quality feel of a well made bamboo floor.
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YES! We can coordinate shipping to most locations in the United States. We recommend ordering a few samples before any final purchase.
Call us Now (503-775-3628) or send us an inquiry
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Often times, no. most bamboo flooring comes pre-finished with aluminum oxide which is a chemical compound added to floor finish to enhance it’s durability. Combined with the hardness of strand woven Bamboo, it is too difficult for our sanders to sand past scratches and dents. There are a few exceptions. Horizontal and vertical bamboo flooring, and site finished bamboo floors (very rare). These varieties must have over a 2mm wear layer and must be nailed or glued down.
if you choose to refinish your bamboo, we offer industry leading dust containment. This is especially critical since over exposure to aluminum oxide dust can cause sickness.
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Most solids will be around 3” wide. Most engineered bamboo flooring will be over 5”, with some brands offering up to 7.5” wide. We recommend going with 5” or under for better long term peromance. This will prevent cupping, warping, and significant seasonal gapping.
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Our flagship brand is Allwood. Since the introduction of government tariffs, high quality bamboo is increasingly hard to find, because it comes from China. We have installed thousands of feet of Allwood and can vouch for it’s quality. We love that they advertise that they will never sell vinyl or plastic floors.
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We sell our for $10.03/sf and installs start at $5/sf
How dent resistant is bamboo flooring?
Janka Hardness
This test calculates the pounds of force (or newtons) required to embed an 11.28-millimeter (0.444-inch) steel ball halfway into a sample of the wood.
Oak: 1200-1300 lbf
Horizontal/Vertical Bamboo: 1300-1800 lbf
Strand Woven Bamboo: 2900-5000 lbf
Types Of Bamboo Flooring & Appearance
Why do the “types” of bamboo flooring matter?
Bamboo can be constructed in 3 ways - horizontal, vertical, and strand woven. Additionally, each can either be solid or engineered. in a sense, all of these are “engineered” because they require binding together to reach plank form. However, engineered means that a layer of bamboo is attached to multiple layers of plywood backing. The way bamboo is constructed matters for a few reasons:
Each type of construction has a different appearance - refer to images below
Sizing - If a client wants a 5”-7.5” bamboo floor, it will need to be engineered. most solids will be 3”.
Engineered planks will require glue, due to their large size, which will increase costs.
Horizontal
Vertical
Strand Woven
Our Advice
As with most products, you generally get what you pay for. Lower-cost bamboo flooring often comes with little or no warranty, so if problems like cupping, warping, cracking, noisy boards, or delamination occur, you'll be responsible for the repairs. Some budget manufacturers harvest their bamboo too early, use lower-quality sections of the shoot, or manufacture the flooring in ways that reduce its stability. Others may use adhesives that contain higher levels of VOCs, which will off gas in your home.
In contrast, we hand pick our materials, and offer expert installation, so that you do not have to wonder about these issues.