When people typically plan their flooring, a few different options come to mind: carpet and hard-wood. There is another flooring option that is both affordable and durable: bamboo. And because bamboo is renewable, using it to cover your floors is environmentally friendly, as well.
There are three different types of bamboo flooring, each with their own appearance, durability, and price:
- Flat grain: The most common bamboo floor is the flat grain, featuring broad strips of bamboo which is actually many strips laminated together.
- Vertical grain: Vertical grain floors boast a sort-of “cutting board” appearance by stacking planks on end.
- Strand planks: By far the hardest of the three, strand flooring is composed of “leftover” bamboo by weaving together scraps then lamenting them together.
While gluing or nailing planks is the most sturdy option, it is certainly not universal. For example, if you’ve got concrete flooring, you obviously couldn’t nail your bamboo down. If your floor is prone to moisture, glue will not permanently adhere and will likely cause the floor to buckle. In these cases, installing a “floating” floor may be the best bet.
Carpet flooring is a fine way to help keep toes cozy, but anyone with a child or a pet knows that they are also a magnet for stains. To avoid this, many people turn to hard wood flooring, but steep prices make this a less-than-ideal option, too.
Hence the appeal of bamboo; it boasts the same beauty and durability of hard-wood, but comes at a fraction of the cost.
If you are considering different flooring options, we strongly recommend bamboo flooring for its beauty and easy maintenance. For more information about designing and installing bamboo flooring, contact Gelotte Hommas Architecture, where your home is our passion.