Thursday, January 1, 2009

The Benefits of Bamboo Flooring

By Bruce Lyman

Bamboo flooring lends an excellent mutually exclusive alternative to traditional hardwood flooring.

Rising in popularity as an alternative, bamboo flooring has a lot of features that make it stand out when compared to hardwood.

Though harvested primarily in China, bamboo flooring can now be found easily in both European and North American markets.

Many early adopters of bamboo flooring are quick to point out its environmental friendliness.

The bamboo plant regrows very quickly when compared with the amount of time it takes a forest to regrow.

In fact, the bamboo plant is considered a grass, as it grows far quicker than a forest.

When done responsibly, bamboo plant harvesting can be done without causing any lasting damage.

How does bamboo flooring compare with traditional hardwoods? High quality bamboo flooring is harder and more durable than even the most expensive hardwood flooring.

Moisture is also less of a problem for bamboo flooring. Where traditional hardwood may buckle and crack because of water exposure, bamboo flooring will keep out water without a problem.

Bamboo flooring is processed as a laminate and treated under extremely high pressure with a high quality glue.

This makes bamboo flooring extremely sturdy and resistant to abrasion, where less hardened hardwood floors may show scratches after a while.

Bamboo flooring has become a great deal more affordable in recent times as well.

Best of all, bamboo flooring is simple enough to lay down without any professional help.

Like many of the newer hardwoods, bamboo flooring is made with a groove that allows the planks to interlock, making them considerably easier to install.

Prior to laying down a bamboo floor, allow the planks settle into their new environment for no less than 72 hours.

Although bamboo flooring does not suffer from water damage like hardwood, they do need some time to adjust to the new environment before installation.

What steps need to be taken in order to provide maintenance for a bamboo floor? Upkeep requirements are fairly simple for bamboo flooring.

Make certain to sweep and mop the floor after it is laid down.

Regular dusting and sweeping should be done after installation. This will prevent dust and dirt from collecting on the finish.

A rug used at the entrance way will keep out a great deal of dust and dirt.

Dirt and small rocks can easily scratch the finish, and a rug can do a great deal to prevent this problem. - 16035

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