How does the idea of using a grass floor in your home sound? Let me add it is durable, beautiful and environmentally friendly too. Don’t believe such a flooring material exists? Well it does. It’s modern day bamboo.
Technically bamboo is a fast growing grass. It can be harvested as often as every 3-5 years as compared to hardwoods which can take 20-25 more years to mature. Thus it is an environment friendly choice which you can make for your home.
Better still bamboo acts like a carbon dioxide magnet. It can store four times more than a comparable stand of hardwood trees while returning up a third more oxygen back into the air. With such appealing green credentials is it any wonder it is gaining in popularity as a flooring material?
Generally you’ll find bamboo is available in two grain patterns known as vertical and horizontal. The vertical grain is thinner and is created by bonding narrow strips of bamboo together. The result is a consistent look with a more detailed pattern. With vertical bamboo you also get a more even color. Given the resulting detailed appearance vertical grain floors some feel this is best suited for smaller rooms.
On the other hand the horizontal grain has a wider, flatter look and often reveals the visible joints of the bamboo. You may hear it said it has a “knuckle” pattern that results from the distinctive joints in the stalk itself that are repeated throughout the floor. It’s best used for an expanse of flooring.
Apart from these features such flooring brings with it other unique benefits. Like the fact that bamboo usually comes in two basic colors, amber or carbonized and what you might call a light yellow or blond hue which is lighter color than oak. Then too it can be stained to produce a range of colors.
Unlike typical hardwoods, you can take a damp mop to such floors without fear of water damage since bamboo doesn’t absorb moisture.
A good quality bamboo is stain and scratch resistant and is easy to maintain too. Although it may be prone to dents and chips if you drag heavy furniture over it or keep heavy furniture in one place in the room for an extended period of time.
Bamboo flooring is usually nailed in place or glued down. A good DIY project it is not. No, you’re likely better off using a flooring installer experienced with this material who can handle the challenges it presents.
Long lasting and enduring beauty is available to you with bamboo flooring. It is favored by the homeowners looking for sustainable renewable products for their home. It is an attractive option that is quite sturdy and can quite literally last for decades.
This article about bamboo floors was brought to you by AskTheVacuumGuy.com. There you’ll find vacuum cleaner ratings and must read reviews of powerful cleaning machines from Miele, Dyson or Orek. Also learn why many insist on using bagless vacuums to do their floor care chores.