Bamboo Flooring is a Green and Environmentally Friendly Building Material That Looks Beautiful in the Home
By Mark J. Donovan
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Bamboo is a renewable resource and thus is a perfect building material to use in the home, particularly if you’re interested in building a green home. A bamboo grass shoot, yes grass not tree, is so prolific that within 4 to 5 years it reaches maturity. Besides its renewability attribute bamboo flooring is effectively a hardwood that is both durable and beautiful. Consequently bamboo flooring is perfect for the home, and thus why it’s been gaining in popularity in North America in recent years.
For the most part Bamboo flooring is grown and manufactured in Southeast Asia and China. As a matter of fact, I was astounded to see when I visited this part of the world to see bamboo used as staging and scaffolding for the construction of large commercial and industrial buildings. I also observed its copious use inside residential and commercial buildings as well. |
Though there are many species of bamboo only a few are used for manufacturing bamboo flooring.
The bamboo species known as Moso, for example, is commonly used in the manufacturing of bamboo flooring due to its prolific growth. Moso bamboo grows 40 to 50 feet in just its first year of growth. After three years it’s ready for harvesting. After harvesting it is dried out in the sun, treated to prevent mold growth, and cut into strips. The strips are both shaped and planed into bamboo flooring strips.
| Because bamboo flooring is effectively a hardwood it is extremely durable. As a matter of fact it considered as hard, or harder, and more stable than most traditional wood floor species including maple and red oak. It also has unique features in its color and markings that give it a wonderful and aesthetically pleasing look.
Generally bamboo flooring comes in a range of colors from a light natural color to a darker amber tone, depending upon the amount of staining introduced in the bamboo strips. |
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Bamboo flooring maintenance is the same as with any pre-finished wood flooring product. Simply sweep or vacuum it on a regular basis to prevent dirt and grime from grinding into the wood and scratching it.
| To clean it, simply use a slightly damp mop on it or an appropriate wood floor spray cleaner.
When buying bamboo flooring don’t necessarily buy the cheapest thing you can find. Not all bamboo is equal. Manufacturers who offer cut-rate prices on bamboo flooring often use immature cut bamboo or do not properly treat it after cutting it to prevent mold growth. The mold growth can cause the bamboo flooring to have a dull and unpleasing look. So the next time you’re out shopping for wood flooring take a closer look at bamboo flooring. You’ll be amazed with the beauty and durability it offers. |
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For help on finding a wood flooring installation contractor, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Wood Flooring Installation Bid Sheet. It will help ensure that you find and hire the right flooring installation contractor for your wood flooring project. In addition, it will help to ensure that your wood floor installation is completed on time and on budget.
Related Information
Additional Flooring Resources from Amazon.com
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