Homeowners today have a number of options when it comes to picking the flooring for their homes. Many people say that they would pay more for a home that has hardwood flooring already installed. The reasons vary but many think that this kind of flooring adds class and elegance to the look of just about any home. It is also easy to maintain and keep clean. After looking at bamboo flooring samples, many homeowners are opting for that kind of flooring because it looks so similar to hardwood flooring. Natural bamboo flooring has a lot of advantages over hardwood floors, however.
The Benefits of Bamboo Flooring:
- Bamboo flooring is much more environmentally friendly than hardwood. If you have ever had bamboo in your yard, you know how fast it can grow. The Moso Bamboo has a root system that will send new bamboo shoots up every year. These shoots take between five and six years to develop. Only between 16 and 20% of any given crop is harvested every year, leaving more than 80% untouched. It can take as many as 20 years for a crop of trees used for hardwood flooring to mature. Bamboo is much more of a sustainable crop that can be used and regrown rapidly. If you are looking for a sustainable material for flooring, bamboo is a much better option than hardwood.
- The environmental benefits extend beyond the plant’s quick growth. When the silk is harvested from the bamboo plant, 100% of it is used in the manufacture of bamboo flooring. There is absolutely no waste that is created from the process. Moreover, the amount of formaldehyde that is produced is very low with this kind of flooring. The amount of formaldehyde that is emitted is estimated at 0.015 mg/m3.
- It is easy to install. When you go to look at bamboo flooring samples, you can see how the pieces fit together. When you have a bamboo flooring installation done, it is a quick and easy process. This is because the sections come in a similar tongue and groove configuration to hardwood floors. This makes it as easy to install as hardwood.
- Bamboo flooring is hard to dent. When you look at bamboo flooring samples, you will notice just how much harder they are than similar hardwood flooring samples. When experts look at the hardness of a floor, they rate it on the Janka rating scale. Northern Red Oak rates at 1290, North American Hard Maple rates at 1450, Brazilian Cherry comes in at 2800. If you have looked at bamboo flooring samples, you may not be surprised to learn that Natural Solid Strand Bamboo has an average Janka rating of 3780. Carbonized Solid Strand Bamboo comes in around 3646. All of this means that the bamboo flooring is very hard and durable.
- It is very easy to maintain bamboo flooring. All homeowners need to do to keep their bamboo flooring looking great is to sweep it with a soft broom or run a vacuum cleaner over it to get rid of the dirt, dust and any debris. Another way to clean is to use a damp mop from time to time to make sure you have gotten all of the dust. It is really that simple. If you spill anything on it, it is worth mopping or wiping it up when you see the spill.
- It is affordable. The price of bamboo flooring typically runs from about $2 per square foot to $8 per square foot. This makes it either comparable or less costly than hardwood flooring. It is important to go to a reputable dealer to get your bamboo flooring. If you look at bamboo flooring samples, make sure the flooring you would buy would be the same quality as the samples.
- It looks great. When you are deciding on the kind of flooring, make it a point to look at bamboo flooring samples to get a sense for the different looks you can get and how they are a lot like hardwood flooring. You may be surprised by how many different looks you can get from bamboo flooring.
Bamboo flooring is gaining in popularity for a number of reasons. Its durability, stylish look and lack of an environmental impact make it a very attractive option.