A variety of bamboo flooring options exist for home owners today. Home improvements done with bamboo flooring can increase the eco-friendliness our your home while creating a unique and inviting look. Bamboo flooring can look similar to lighter colors of hardwood floors, however is is definitely distinctive!
Homes that have bamboo installed in them have a light, natural feeling to them. There are many different styles of bamboo flooring to consider. Probably the most popular type today is what is known as stranded bamboo flooring. This type is well known for its durability and resilience to wear and is popular in homes with children and pets or for high traffic area. The process of fusing the strands of bamboo together under high pressure creates a very dense and hard flooring surface which stands up well to the tests of time. Strand woven bamboo has quite a unique look, however, and some may prefer a bamboo that mimics traditional hardwood floors more closely. Closer in “look” to hardwood is what is generally referred to as solid bamboo plank flooring. It retains that knotted, woody look because of the manner in which it is manufactured. While many people do prefer this more traditional look, solid bamboo does have some drawbacks when compared with stranded bamboo. Solid bamboo planks are considerably less durable than their stranded cousins.
In fact, it is more similar to the hardness of maple wood flooring – which in the realm of hardwood floors is considered about the softest that you would want to install. If you decide that you prefer the look of solid bamboo, you will have to take considerably more care with your floors than with other, stronger varieties. For example – high heels and pet nails are very well known causes of marring the surface of softer bamboo. It is also not recommended that you install these types of planks in known areas of high traffic within your home without protecting them. Runners and area rugs can help, but they only go so far.
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