Bamboo Flooring

Eco Floors has put together a Six-point guide to help you decide if Bamboo Flooring is right for you

Application – Bamboo flooring is best for the individual who likes hardwood flooring but wants something even more eco-friendly and 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. These are some instances where bamboo flooring will outperform most hardwoods. If you’re not quite sold on the look of vinyl plank flooring or laminate but love their durability, give bamboo a try.

It’s important to recognize that not all bamboo is created equal. Let’s revisit the different types of bamboo:

Strand woven – High-quality, Solid strand-woven bamboo is considered more dimensionally stable than many species of hardwood floors. What this means is that you can expect less expansion and contraction from the bamboo flooring when placed in the same conditions as other types of hardwood flooring. To put that in context, strand woven bamboo could be a good option for a rental or second home in which you turn off the HVAC system when it’s not in use (this will likely void your warranty, but turning off HVAC is a popular practice with vacation homes). Strand woven bamboo may also be less prone to seasonal floor gapping, that is the hairline cracks that usually appear in the winter. Strand woven bamboo also boasts the highest hardness of any type of bamboo flooring and is around twice as hard as oak on the Janka hardness rating system. This is your best bet for durability.

Horizontal – Horizontal bamboo is less stable than strand woven, but more stable than vertical. As we see in the image above, it produces a unique look based on the way the strips are pressed together. Horizontal and vertical bamboo is less hard than strand-woven bamboo. Be sure to check the ratings on specific products because many claim to be harder than oak but have similar durability once lived with.

Vertical – This is for people desiring a tighter grain look. Again, this boasts similar durability to horizontal bamboo flooring but is less dimensionally stable.

Engineered – The least stable product of the types of bamboo flooring. In many cases, we’d recommend selecting an engineered hardwood over these. However, that is not to deter you from an engineered plank bamboo. Just remember, quality is paramount! Do not buy cheap engineered bamboo because you have a much higher risk of encountering noisy, cracking, and/or delaminating boards. Look for a floating floor with a click-lock system. This will let the floor expand and contract more freely. An excellent option is Wellmade’s HDPC strand woven engineered bamboo. This brand boasts a waterproof rating and is 3x harder than oak.

Where should you NOT put bamboo flooring? Again, it’s wise to treat most bamboo products like a hardwood floor – no outdoor use, no areas that are prone to standing moisture like full bathrooms, and no areas that are prone to large temperature fluctuations. This will give you the best chance at a long-lasting floor. If you are cautious, you can use a strand of woven bamboo or some specifically engineered products in laundry rooms or utility rooms but note that this will likely void any manufacturer warranty. As discussed above, It may have a better chance of success than traditional hardwood flooring in areas with larger temperature swings, but this is a proceed-at-your-own-risk situation. Keep in mind, that strand woven bamboo flooring is your best bet in this scenario. If you intend to use bamboo flooring below grade, such as in a basement, be sure that the basement is dry and the concrete is well sealed. For this application, we recommend strand woven or a specifically designed engineered bamboo flooring product like Wellmade’s HDPC Bamboo. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s recommendations.