Bamboo Flooring Pros and Cons

In this post, we discuss the pros and cons of bamboo flooring in your home.

Bamboo flooring has increased steadily in popularity since it first started appearing in the U.S. a couple decades ago. Today it is one of the most popular types of exotic hardwood flooring in usage.

If you are deciding what type of flooring to use for your home and are considering bamboo, then you will want to know the pros and cons of bamboo flooring.

About Bamboo Flooring

Although bamboo flooring is usually classified as a hardwood flooring type, bamboo is actually a grass, not a hardwood tree.

Bamboo flooring is an engineered material, meaning that bamboo strands are sliced and shredded and then pressed back together with heat, glues, and polymers to form floorboards.

It is engineered in three ways: strand woven, horizontal, and vertical. Horizontal bamboo shows the “knuckles” in the grain pattern which people usually associate with bamboo flooring. Vertical bamboo has a uniform, striped look. Strand woven bamboo flooring mixes the grass fibers together so that they’re interlocked, making it the hardest and also the most expensive type of bamboo.

It is a relatively affordable hardwood material compared to many other hardwood flooring types, costing on average between $2.00 – $8.00 per square foot.

Bamboo generally falls between 1,200 to 1,400 on the Janka Hardness Scale, making it harder than oak and ash flooring.

Pros

High-quality bamboo flooring is as durable as traditional hardwood flooring
Bamboo flooring has a clean, contemporary look
Cleans easily with a mop and mild soap
Bamboo can be refinished, dependant on the thickness of the planks
Some types of bamboo flooring are DIY-friendly
Renewable resource and considered environmentally friendly

Cons

Some nexpensive bamboo types are susceptible to scratches
It easily absorbs water and is susceptible to water damage and humidity
Bamboo doesn’t fit with some styles of decor
The coloring is limited to only a few shades
Some bamboo has adhesives which can release unhealthy VOC’s over time
There is not an independent system that is used to rate the quality of bamboo materials

Located in Geneva, IL, Art Z Flooring is one of the most trusted bathroom and kitchen renovators in the Chicago area.