Melida

Being environmentally friendly is very important to many people these days but knowing what products to buy for the home is not always an easy task. When it comes to flooring, bamboo is just one of the choices you have, not only is it eco friendly but it is also of a very high quality, extremely tough-wearing and looks great too.

Strength

Bamboo is a plant which is very versatile and can be used as a source of food as well being used as a traditional building material in Asia. Despite being a type of grass, bamboo has been found to be 10% stronger than Red Wood. There are many bamboo products that you can buy for the home including decorative room dividers, kitchen utensils and kitchen work surfaces. Another benefit of bamboo is that it doesn't suffer as much from expansion and contraction in the way that hardwood flooring does.

Color

You have two main colors to choose from - blond and amber. Blond is the natural color of bamboo whereas amber-colored bamboo has been "smoked" and is called "carbonized bamboo"

Grain

If you are looking for the bamboo to have a very simple and clean pattern then go for a vertical cut because the horizontal cut will show up the nodes. Which cut you choose greatly depends on personal choice so make sure that you have had a look at some samples before buying.

Installation

Bamboo is no easier or more difficult than any other types of flooring to install. If you plan on installing bamboo floors yourself then buy the "click lock" system rather than gluing.

As you can see bamboo is one of the best choices for flooring in the home. It appeals to many people so whether you are an eco warrior, style guru or have a large family running around the house, bamboo is one of the best choices you can make.

George Kerr writes about many products you can buy for the home including bamboo flooring and cork flooring.