Its time to make the change, but to what?
Drab flooring got you down?
The craze of bamboo flooring seemed to erupt onto the real estate scene almost over night. It seems like you can’t get through a HGTV show without hearing how this grass stalk is a very similarly looking, yet eco-friendly, alternative to hardwood. But you aren’t settling for that are you? No, no, no, you are smarter than flashy propaganda, you are doing your research to find out the truth; by research I mean typing into Google “bamboo flooring vs hardwood” where tons of people like myself have done the research for you, providing you with a short, but educational, account on this battle royal.
Let’s first test bamboo’s claim to fame as an earth friendly alternative. Unlike trees, you don’t need to cut down the roots of the bamboo stalk when producing flooring. Bamboo also grows back exponentially faster than trees for hardwood, meaning quicker production with less deforestation, YAY.
While bamboo grows rapidly, it isn’t grown in many areas, which results in significant energy expenditure to ship it to certain locations. Since the bamboo flooring craze is relatively new, the long-term energy consumption for its’ transportation hasn’t been determined yet. Since all ecological cost haven’t been determined yet, it’s really hard to officially dub bamboo an eco-friendly alternative, BOO.
Don’t go writing off bamboo just yet though, because on most accounts bamboo is actually harder than hardwood, pun intended. Not only is bamboo harder than most forms of hardwood, it’s also more water-resistant. Bamboo’s level of hardness and resistance to liquids can vary though, based on the type of wood you are comparing it to and whether the bamboo has been chemically treated. Bamboo is chemically treated to darken its hue, making it more porous than it would be in its natural state.
In my opinion, the young-buck bamboo just isn’t ready to K.O. veteran hardwood. All-in-all though, bamboo seems like it COULD be a great alternative to hardwood based on your wants and needs. So if you’re ready to make the switch, by all means go out and get you some gorgeous bamboo, but be weary of where you buy it. Unfortunately, bamboo isn’t yet regulated in any official way, so its hard to know whether you are really getting high quality flooring. Since bamboo isn’t guaranteed for quality, source, or consistency by a singular entity, be sure you do your research to find a reputable retailer first.
