In many aspects installing bamboo flooring is similar to installing other types of wood flooring. However, the installation options depend on the type of bamboo flooring be installed as each one requires a different installation. Laminate bamboo floors are different solid bamboo and engineered bamboo and each one can be installed in different manners.

Solid bamboo flooring is installed using nails, staples, or glue. This type of bamboo flooring is best left to a professional installer in order to prevent having damaged floor planks from the wood splintering or buckling during the nailing process. Some installers prefer to use staples to secure the floor as they create a stronger bond.

Condo dining room with bamboo floors

Some installers use glue to install solid hardwood floors and it is possible for homeowners who do their own projects to install solid bamboo flooring using glue if they are certain to use the right adhesive. Using a water-based adhesive will cause problems with the floor and it will be ruined. Although high quality glue will be more costly, in the end the floor will last longer which saves money in repairs and replacement.

Homeowners who wish to install their own bamboo flooring should choose engineered bamboo flooring and a floating installation. Floating installation are click-n-lock type installations that may or may not require flue being applied to the joints as they are fitted together. Floating installations typically have an underlayment that adds cushioning and protects the bamboo from moisture.

Installing bamboo flooring requires prep work regardless of the type of installation and bamboo flooring chosen. The subfloor should be cleaned and any remnants of the old floor removed and discarded. If the floor is unlevel a professional should be consulted to have a leveler applied before the flooring is installed. An unlevel floor can have dramatic effects on bamboo flooring. The boards will be uneven and can bow and have a squeaky sound over time if they are not level.

Installation options vary as do the types of bamboo flooring that can be installed in homes. The installation chosen is a matter of individual tastes in flooring choice and in the ability of the homeowner’s ability and or desire to install the floor themselves or their wish to hire a professional installer.

Regardless of the type of bamboo flooring chosen or the type of installation used, bamboo is a durable, beautiful flooring choice that will enhance any home.

-Sharon Chapman

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Many people are taking extra steps to help save the planet by recycling, purchasing products that are made from recycled materials, turning off lights to conserve power and many other steps. What many people do not realize is that they can also go green using bamboo flooring.

Choosing bamboo flooring saves hundreds of trees from being harvested and made into hardwood flooring. In addition, it saves the environment from up to a hundred years of being without those same trees to protect the land from runoff that occurs when there are no trees to protect the ground.

The atmosphere suffers from the reduction in the carbon dioxide and nitrogen exchange that occurs during a trees lifetime. With bamboo, the harvest period is from four to five years. This means that the window of barren land is narrow, a four to five year period compared to a fifty to one hundred year period with traditional hardwoods.

In addition to the atmosphere and soil conditions changing when hardwood trees are harvested for flooring there are many different species of animals that are dislocated due to deforestation. Over time this dislocation can lead to the extinction of some species and an altering of the biodiversity of the planet. In some cases this could have repercussions, such as disease being carried to man that would not have been if the mosquito had been eaten by an animal that lived in the forest. Using bamboo to create green flooring systems helps to prevent scenarios like this from becoming reality.

Green bamboo flooring has been used in China for hundreds of years; in fact, bamboo has been used for much more than just flooring and has proven to be as strong and durable as traditional hardwoods. In addition to its beauty and green factor, bamboo is relatively inexpensive, when compared to solid hardwood floors made of oak or other hardwood.

Green bamboo flooring is not the answer to the entire sustainability and recycling issue. But it is a major step in the right direction and another piece of the overall picture that needs to be in place. Homeowners and developers should consider green bamboo flooring when making decisions on remodeling or building a new home. Bamboo is both beautiful and smart for the environment.

-Sharon Chapman

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Bamboo flooring will never be considered a cheap flooring but it is not as expensive as traditional hardwoods and should it need repaired or refinished in the future it will prove to be much less expensive than other woods. Being able to make repairs is important when considering any flooring because accidents do happen and when they do it is important to be able to afford these repairs.

As with any product, consumers will get what they pay for. Bamboo flooring comes in a range of prices and of course a range of qualities. There are companies who specialize in selling discounted, wholesale bamboo flooring. Typically these companies are purchasing the bamboo flooring planks that were considered seconds or not up to par for top quality manufacturers. This does not mean that the floor is not beautiful and strong. What it does mean is that there could be variations in color, blemishes or other imperfections that prevent it from being sold as top quality flooring.

Homeowners who want to spruce up but can’t afford a top quality bamboo floor may opt to go with a wholesale bamboo flooring product in order to get better bamboo flooring pricing. They will still have a beautiful floor and in the future may be able to simply replace any pieces that are not top quality with some that are top quality.

If the house is being outfitted with new flooring in more than one room, it may be possible to get top quality bamboo flooring at discounted prices because of purchasing in bulk. Talk to a flooring professional and find out if they offer a discount for large purchase. Even a small percentage off the full price can make a difference when making a large purchase.

In the end, doing a price comparison of the various flooring options will help show that bamboo flooring prices are not as out of reach as many people might believe they are. In addition to comparing prices with other materials, the actual bamboo itself should be shopped around to find the best price. Often, the Internet is the best place for flooring prices. The downside is that the flooring can’t be inspected before it is ordered and if there is a mistake or damaged pieces it has to be shipped back to the company. All of these are factors to consider when comparing.

Bamboo floor pricing, in a nutshell, or a bamboo shoot, so to speak, is not as high as most people think. In fact, it can be more economical than and just as beautiful as traditional wood floors.

-Sharon Chapman

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Bamboo flooring is an economical alternative to most traditional hardwood flooring options without seeking out the discounted, cheap floors that are subpar and will not last for more than a few years before they need replaced. A quality bamboo flooring will last for upwards of ten years without needing more than an occasional mop and dust broom.

Bamboo flooring saves more than money; it helps to save the atmosphere and Mother Earth. Deforestation, the act of clear cutting many trees at one time to harvest them for their wood, is having a catastrophic impact on the world. Rainforests in particular are severely damaged by deforestation. When this occurs, global temperatures and weather patterns are altered and that changes the course of the future.

On the other hand, bamboo is a fast growing plant used to create a strong, durable hardwood floor that lasts for many years. Bamboo regenerates in three to five years. This makes it possible to harvest bamboo 5 times more often than some traditional hardwoods are harvested. This short time period keeps the land from being damaged due to runoff and the root system of the plants remains healthy and intact for the next growing.

Cheap, or inexpensive, bamboo flooring is available in many different places; however, the best place to find bamboo flooring is on the Internet. There are many bamboo flooring websites that offer excellent pricing options as well as information on how to install the flooring or how to find a professional installer.

Bamboo flooring websites offer a range of inexpensive bamboo floors in a variety of colors and patterns. Natural blond bamboo is favorite of many people while other people prefer the amber and darker tones of carbonized bamboo floors. The darker colors of the amber are not so rich as to be stuff; instead they are warm and inviting and complement any décor.

The key to finding cheap bamboo flooring is to make sure that the monetary comparisons are based on quality floorings and not second hand floors that are made from discarded seconds. Read customer reviews, look for money back guarantees and seek professional flooring advice if there are any questions or doubts about a particular flooring product.

Choose a quality bamboo flooring that fits in the budget and that will last for many years with relatively little maintenance.

-Sharon Chapman

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Bamboo wood floor is a current use of bamboo that has been used for hundreds of years in homes in China. It was used for buildings and floorings long before it became a hardwood choice in homes today. However, the bamboo wood floor systems used today are made from machined planks of bamboo that are treated and finished to suit the consumer. These are as strong as the bamboo used in the olden days but are radically different in terms of manufacturing and installing.

There are several different types of bamboo floor systems that can be installed. Some are typical tongue and groove that has a snap installation. These are simple to install and do not necessarily require the use of a professional installer, unless it is being secured with nails. If glue is being used the installation is easier because there are not any chances of nails causing the boards to split. A floated floor can also be installed using bamboo; however, this should only be installed by a professional.

A floating bamboo wood installation is one in which the bamboo flooring sits on top of a thick fiberboard core. The core stabilizes the flooring. This type of installation is not as messy as a tongue and groove installation because it does not use glue or nails. The flooring is simply placed on top of the bamboo.

Installing bamboo is an environmentally friendly flooring choice. It is renewable in a few short years when compared to other flooring choices. Hardwood trees take up to a hundred years to mature compared to the short three to five years it takes bamboo to mature. In addition to regenerating quickly, bamboo grows in most any soil conditions although most of the bamboo used in flooring comes from China.

Bamboo wood floor systems are easy to care for flooring installations that work well in most any room of the home. They should not be wet mopped but do well with a damp mop to remove built up dirt and grime. A simple dust mop works well for daily dust build up. To keep the floor looking its best in high traffic areas rugs should be used.

Bamboo wood floor installations are bound to continue to increase in popularity as more people try to do their part to help the environment and at the same time beautify their home. Finally, when compared to some hardwood floor costs, bamboo is sure to be less painful on the wallet.

-Sharon Chapman

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First, if the floor is solid bamboo and the subfloor is wood or other material that makes nailing the bamboo the best route, it wise to have a professional installer for the project. Nailing solid bamboo is difficult and can cause the wood to splinter. At least with a professional installer, they will be responsible for any cracked wood. An engineered wood floor is the easiest for homeowners to install themselves unless glue is being used for a solid wood installation.

The first step is to prepare the subfloor for the installation. Prep work is an important step that can determine the overall finished installation’s beauty and longevity. Make sure that all remnants of the previous flooring are removed and that any glue that remains is scraped from the subfloor but that no damage is done to the subfloor. If there original flooring was carpet, insure that all floor tacks and tack strips are removed before installing the bamboo flooring.

After deciding on the type of bamboo flooring, a measurement of the room should be taken. In order to make sure that there is enough flooring for mistakes and to allow for any natural variations in the wood, allow for 20% more flooring than the room measures.

After purchasing the bamboo flooring, it should be stacked in the room in loose piles and allowed to acclimate for 24-48 hours, preferably 48 as the wood needs time to adjust to the temperature and moisture content of the room. Wood that had not acclimated can, over time, swell or buckle. Another reason for stacking the flooring is that it gives the installer an opportunity to look through the flooring and find any pieces that need to be returned to the manufacturer due to cracks or imperfections.

If the installation is to be a floating installation, during the installation process be certain to use a rubber mallet to insure that the joints are firmly pressed together. When cutting the bamboo planks for fitting make sure to measure twice, there are no redos when it comes to bamboo planks that have been cut. Get it right the first time. Once all planks have been installed it is time to sit back and enjoy the new floor.

Flooring installations that are going to be glued or nailed down should be done using a professional installer in order to make sure there are no mistakes and that if there are mistakes the installers are responsible.

-Sharon Chapman

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Bamboo is an exceptionally strong material in addition to being beautiful. Structural engineering tests using bamboo have shown that it has a higher compressive strength than many types of concrete mixtures and a higher tensile strength than many types of alloy steel. Surprisingly to some people, it has also got a higher strength to weight ratio than graphite, proving it is a super strong wood flooring choice. Proof of this strength can be found in the many buildings made entirely of bamboo that have stood for hundreds of years and have even held strong through 9.0 magnitude earthquakes.

A wood that can withstand an earthquake will surely withstand daily life in most homes. Bamboos strength as a flooring rivals that of oak, cherry and other traditional hardwoods that are typically seen in homes. Homeowners can be assured that their bamboo hardwood floor will hold up under the rigors of daily life.

The selling point of bamboo wood floors for many people is the fast regeneration of bamboo. Traditional hardwood trees take anywhere from thirty to fifty years to mature enough to be usable as flooring. After harvesting and until the next crop is ready to harvest the time period is one filled with less oxygen being produced and less carbon dioxide being consumed by the trees that would have been there to use it; additionally, there is more runoff where the trees were harvested, all of these add up to environmentally damaging effects.

Bamboo, however, is environmentally friendly. It is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet, maturing in five years. Some types of bamboo have been recorded growing over four feet in 24 hours. Some species can be harvested every three years with no damage to the environment or the plants system. This time span is so short there is not time for damage to occur to the environment.

Eco-scientists and other proponents of bamboo argue that if bamboo were planted in mass fields that global warming’s effects could be reversed in less than ten years.

Using bamboo hardwood floor to beautify you home also helps to keep the planet healthy and out atmosphere in stable condition. Oak, cherry and other hardwoods can still be harvested on a smaller scale to make beautiful wood furniture but it doesn’t have to be mass harvested to create strong, beautiful floors, bamboo is capable of handling that without damaging the environment in the process.

-Sharon Chapman

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Once the bamboo stalks are mature enough to be harvested, they are cut in to long strips in order to be prepared for processes. These strips are then cut to the approximate width that is seen in stacked horizontal bamboo floors.

If the hardwood bamboo floor choice is going to be the dark amber flooring, the next step is the carbonization process. This is the process that darkens the wood by steaming it under intense pressure. This process is similar to heating sugar; the hotter it gets the darker it gets. For deeper ambers, the bamboo is left in the heat longer. Natural blond bamboo is boiled to kill insects and eliminate any sugars in it.

Modern Asian home with bamboo flooring

It is difficult to know whether or not quality manufacturing processes have been followed during these processes as there are not any governing agencies overseeing the manufacturing of bamboo flooring. This is why some companies are able to sell hardwood bamboo floor installations at much lower prices than other companies. The floors look beautiful but the floors are of an inferior grade and the consumer will have to replace them in a short time period.

Quality manufacturers will follow the purifying process with an inspection process. The top grades will be kept and any pieces that are deemed to be lower grade are sold to discount companies that specialize in selling wholesale, lower-grade flooring.

After the grading and separating of the various grades of bamboo, the strips that are going to be used are placed in a kiln to dry until they reach acceptable moisture content. This step is important to insure that the moisture content is not so high as to cause warping later.

Once the strips are dried they are glued before having a final finish applied. The strips are either glued sided by side or face up, depending on whether or not the construction of the hardwood bamboo floor is horizontal or vertical.

Once the strips are glued together they are hot pressed with up to 1200 PSE to bind them together. This pressing adds strength and durability to the flooring.

The final two steps in creating bamboo hardwood floor systems are the milling and finishing. After the pressurized strengthening is complete, the pieces are milled similar to that of other hardwoods in a tongue and groove system for installation.

The finish that is applied varied from one manufacturer to another. High quality manufacturers will apply a thicker, tougher finish that is resistant to scratching and marring. Often, the sign of top quality flooring can be found in the finish.

Hardwood bamboo floor systems are beautiful installations in any home; however, the flooring installed should be a high quality flooring system that lasts for many years.

-Sharon Chapman

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There are differences in bamboo hardwood floors that are easy to spot and some that are not so easy to spot. One way to determine a quality product is to test the finish that has been applied to the wood. Using a coin, scrape the top of the flooring. The finish should not easily scrape off. If it does it will not hold up well under wear and tear in a home and will have to be refinished in a few short years compared to a quality flooring finish that will hold up for many years. Another way to test is to press a fingernail into the wood; it should not show a ding. Inferior bamboo hardwood floors will ding almost upon touching.

Condo dining room with bamboo floors

Bamboo hardwood floors are very durable. However, homeowners should be aware that nearly all hardwood floors will show some wear, such as high heel marks over time. This can be avoided by not wearing high heels or cleats on hardwood floors regardless of what type of wood they are made from. Bamboo is a very durable, strong wood, the strongest being the natural blond woods while the amber, carbonized bamboos are a little less hard. This is simply due to the carbonization process of heating the wood to reach the deeper, darker coloring.

Homeowners and builders should understand that although they are hard and durable, just like any other wood, bamboo has the potential to scratch. This doesn’t mean that it can’t be walked on and lived on; it simply means that it is not prefect and that no wood is going to be perfect. Bamboo hardwood floors should have rugs in high traffic areas to prevent them from daily scratching.

Quality bamboo flooring will have a nice, hard finish that helps to protect the wood from damage and prolong the time between installation and having to refinish it. Homeowners and builders should look for customer reviews to help guide them when picking their bamboo hardwood floors. While cost is a consideration when purchasing anything, it should not be the deciding factor. More often than not a cheap price is equivalent to a cheaply made product that costs more in the long run due to repair and replacement costs.

A professional flooring installer or company can help with the process of deciding on the brand of bamboo flooring to choose based on where it is going to be used and the budget that is being allowed for the floor.

-Sharon Chapman

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Bamboo is a grass that grows quickly and is able to replenish itself within a very short period of time. A harvested field of bamboo will grow to maturity in five years and be ready to create another beautiful floor. Traditional hardwoods, on the other hand can take from fifty to many hundreds of years to mature and be ready for harvest.

As people move to making purchases based on how their decisions affect the rest of the world and their future and the future of their children and generations to come, sustainable products are going to become more and more the choices that are made. A flooring choice that can replenish in five years keeps the trees in the forests from being destroyed and taking so many years to return to normal.

Bamboo wood flooring beats traditional hardwood in other areas as well. Bamboo is not as susceptible to scratching and marring as the traditional hardwoods which in turn make it last longer than traditional hardwood. Lasting longer and being more durable when combined with the low cost of bamboo floors compared to the high cost of maple, cherry or oak are just more reasons to choose bamboo wood flooring.

Bamboo flooring installations are easier than installing other hardwoods. This makes the installation cost less. Couple this with the ease of maintaining bamboo wood and the overall conclusion is simple to see. Bamboo is less expensive to purchase, install, and maintain and is more durable than traditional hardwoods and is the choice to make.

Bamboo wood flooring choices can be light and natural or deep and rich. Natural bamboo wood flooring is a blondish color that can be matched to any home’s décor without giving the home that stuffy, scared-to-walk on; pass me my smoking jacket look that many of the rich colored hardwoods have. The natural blond color is perfect for any room in the house, from the bedroom to the sun room it is able to blend in with any color scheme with its natural beauty.

On the other hand, a deeper color can be had by choosing bamboo that has been carbonized. This is a rich amber color without being so rich as to overpower the home. Carbonization is the process of smoking the bamboo to get bring out the deeper coloring. The process is similar to caramelizing sugar. Intense heat alters the bamboo giving it amber color that is beautifully unique. The carbonization process can be shortened or prolonged to vary the richness of the color. Carbonization also makes the flooring stronger than the natural blond bamboo.

-Sharon Chapman

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