Without further adieu here are five reasons why bamboo is an awesome choice for flooring materials.
Bamboo is stronger than many hardwoods
Quite interestingly, bamboo flooring is extremely harder and stronger than most hardwoods. Certain species of bamboo rate higher than maple and some almost rank twice as high as red oak, which is commonly used in households.
It’s surprisingly very resilient, despite the fact that it is classified in the plant kingdom as a type of grass (not a tree!). Bamboo floorings can withstand the impact that comes with dropping heavy objects on them. Bamboo resists denting more effectively than most hardwoods. As a matter of fact, while you’d normally have to be extremely careful with your hardwood floor, you won’t have to, even with cheap bamboo floors!
Bamboo is highly resistant to water
This is why it’s perfect as a flooring material. With most sought-after hardwoods (for instance, black walnut flooring), you’d have to immediately wipe puddles dry and you have to avoid performing wet maintenance. Bamboo flooring, on the other hand, isn’t so high maintenance.
Easy on the environment
It’s grass, after all! As a matter of fact, it’s THE fastest growing type of grass. It only takes 5 years for a bamboo plant to produce fully-mature shoots. After which, it’s ready for harvest and use. What’s even more wonderful about this is that even after you harvest them, they can just re-grow by themselves – no need to replant.
Now let’s consider hardwood trees (and most other trees for that matter). Red oak takes roughly 30 years (three decades!) to reach maximum height. Only then can it be cut down. And once you cut the tree down, you have to plant another fresh one in its place.
Easy to clean
Even a really cheap bamboo floor isn’t so high-maintenance. Most of the time, you’ll only need to sweep dust and dirt away using an ordinary broom. You don’t have to use any special type of cleaning agent or vacuum cleaner to keep your bamboo floor spic and span. However, if you do want to maximize the lifespan of your bamboo flooring, a little pampering isn’t so bad.
The best cheap bamboo flooring isn’t even hard to come by. Because it’s practically a renewable source of wood, the price of bamboo can compete with most other alternatives. With all of these benefits brought to light, it’s quite easy to see why bamboo flooring is fast becoming popular.