Bamboo is an exciting alternative material to hardwood. It is not a wood. It is a grass. In this article I will talk about the pros of using strand woven bamboo flooring and the cons with strand woven bamboo flooring.
Firstly what is strand woven bamboo flooring? It is a hard bamboo plank that is made by harvesting bamboo stalks and boiling the stalks to remove the sugars in the bamboo. It is important to do this because the sugar in bamboo attracts termites and other unwanted insects. Then the bamboo is allowed to dry. Afterward, the bamboo strands are pressed and flattened under high pressure with an adhesive. This process makes a plank of bamboo nearly twice as dense as normal bamboo flooring.
The other varieties of bamboo flooring are antique, tiger stripe and cherry. This is made by laying out thin strips of bamboo either down the length of the room (vertical flooring) or across the width (horizontal) of the room. The other type of bamboo flooring is engineered bamboo flooring. The bamboo flooring is made by compressing bamboo into plies with pine. The pine makes the flooring harder but less environmentally friendly. The main problem with these different types of bamboo flooring is that they are not as tough and durable as strand woven bamboo flooring. Solid bamboo flooring looks attractive and like planks of hardwood but this kind of flooring is weak and dents easily. Engineered bamboo flooring is stronger but it is not 100% bamboo. For those people who want a ‘natural’ and eco-friendly flooring material this is objectionable.
The main benefits of using strand woven bamboo flooring are environmental. Bamboo is an remarkably eco-friendly material. Hardwoods take between 60 to 150 years to reach maturity. In contrast bamboo is ready to harvest in 4 to 6 years. It is a plant that doesn’t require planting because it has an extensive root system that naturally puts out new shoots. Bamboo contains a ‘kun’ substance that is naturally resistant to pathogens and pests. Therefore, bamboo can be grown organically, without pesticides and herbicides. Bamboo is also remarkably versatile. It can be used as a building material. It can be used to make furniture. The shoots are edible and a good source of nourishment. Bamboo can be made into paper and the Chinese and Indians use bamboo in their traditional medicines. Bamboo is more important to the well-being of the planet than trees because it produces 35% more oxygen and absorbs 5 times as much carbon dioxide as an equivalent strand of trees.
In particular strand woven bamboo flooring is a good natural material to use for your flooring purposes because it looks attractive – a lot like oak. It has a beautiful natural grain. It is also easy to clean and helps keep your house allergens free unlike carpeting which attracts allergens. Also strand woven bamboo flooring is 50% cheaper than hardwood flooring. The other benefit of strand woven bamboo flooring is that it is easy to install. It can be directly glued to the foundation; it can allowed to ‘float’; or it can be nailed or stapled to the foundation.
Regrettably, strand woven bamboo flooring does have some negative points. Bamboo has grown in popularity over recent years and this has lead to cut clearing of forests in China. The over-use of pesticides, soil erosion, an increase of soil toxicity and the loss of natural habitat. Very few bamboo companies have credible environmental certification and fair trade certification. Furthermore, many bamboo floorings use glue containing formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is very bad for the environment. The other problem with strand woven bamboo flooring is that it is not as strong as oak. It does dent and scratch and can warp under too much sunlight.
When choosing a new flooring for your house it is important to consider these key points.
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