Timber Flooring vs Bamboo Flooring
Timber flooring has been around for a long time, in the form of solid wood or veneered (floating timber) floors. It's the first choice for people who want their homes to include the warm look of wood, or who just don't like carpet. There haven't been a lot of other options.
However, that has changed in recent years. Bamboo flooring is an environmentally friendly, strong, lasting alternative to using timber flooring. Here's some information about bamboo and how it performs against floating and solid timber.
Floating timber floors are most popular because they're inexpensive. Unlike solid timber, they're made up of wood veneer just a few millimeters in thickness. This veneer is laminated onto less expensive wood, or onto a wood composite. Bamboo floors, on the other hand, can be made of solid bamboo. That means that they're more durable, and may be less expensive than a solid timber floor. As a plus, bamboo is harder to damage and much stronger than most woods.
Unlike a floating timber floor, bamboo flooring is permanently attached to the surface it rests on. That allows more stability and less opening of and movement in the joints between individual pieces of flooring.
You also won't have to deal with the hollow sound that many timber floors make when you walk on them, or the easy scratching. Bamboo flooring is solid sounding, easy to clean, and resistant to scratches and dings.
Since there's little to no movement between pieces of bamboo flooring, you can easily refinish your floor. Bamboo provides a better surface than solid timber, and veneered timber can't be resurfaced at all!
Veneered timber flooring must be replaced if it's damaged. Bamboo, on the other hand, can last another five to ten years if you have it resurfaced. It can even be resurfaced more times than just about any other floor type.
If you're concerned about sustainability and the environment, bamboo is the better choice. While both timber and bamboo are renewable natural resources, it takes a long time for timber to renew. Veneered timber requires less hardwood to produce, but it still uses softwoods, composite woods, and even toxic and environmentally damaging glues.
You'll find these kinds of practices mostly in China and other countries where regulation is minimally enforced. Fortunately, it takes only a little research to tell you if you're getting some of the large percentage of products made from sustainably produced bamboo.
If durability is a serious concern, bamboo is the better choice over hardwood. Bamboo stands up well to daily wear, and there are a number of floors that come with a warranty. You should, however, be willing to spend the money for a quality product that will last out the years.
Where contraction and expansion due to weather are problems, bamboo holds up well. Compared to a hardwood veneer, it can be resurfaced more often, and needs no treatments or waxing to keep looking good. However, some products do contain environmentally unfriendly glues - look for nontoxic types when you buy your flooring.
If you're interested in finding out how hardwood flooring and bamboo compare, an online search will quickly tell you. You'll be able to view a wide range of products and see what all your options are. Bamboo could be the right floor for your home.