Hardwood floors are really some of the best; there’s nothing like the feel of natural stuff under your feet while walking around your home. They are typically also some of the most expensive floors around, costing more than alternatives like linoleum, tile or other materials. To get the feel of hardwood flooring without the high costs which are associated with it, some homeowners are going with bamboo flooring rather than the oak, spruce or other heavy, hard woods which are typically used. Bamboo is lighter, cheaper and easier to work with than those heavier kinds of wood.
Big, thick trees take one or more lifetimes to grow; some of the biggest trees are literally hundreds of years old. Bamboo on the other hand takes far less room to grow, it grows at a faster rate and it can also be cut off in sections while it is growing, without hurting the plant. Because of its massive availability, it is significantly cheaper than hardwood when making floors, walls, really anything. The price isn’t the only selling point for bamboo flooring though. When correctly crafted, it can even be harder than oak or other hard woods.
The process which involves shredding bamboo fibers and then smashing them flat makes a real wood floor hard as twice as oak in some cases. This kind of bamboo is called strand bamboo and it is an industry standard. You will want to do a little research before committing to buy if you are looking for another kind of bamboo. In addition, the color of bamboo is available in a wide range, thanks to the carbonization process which cooks out the sugar in the wood and causes a gentle shift in shade.
Because of its high versatility, strength and ease of production, bamboo flooring makes a great alternative to hardwood flooring if not an outright superior choice. It is more affordable, you can find it just about anywhere and there is no doubt about how good it looks, just check out photos of bamboo floors online. Also, it is prudent not to forget the low impact bamboo production has on the environment when compared to the total deforestation required to make hardwood floors. Bamboo is a good choice for the environmentally conscious customers as well as those looking for something affordable yet effective flooring. So when shopping around, bamboo flooring is definitely something worth checking out.