Bamboo flooring is one of the most durable, natural materials available to the consumer.

It is a superior alternative to wood because it can be harvested every 5-7 years, compared to 15-100 years for other traditional wood. Because of its abundance, manufacturers have been perfecting the process of laminating the strips of wood together to create the distinctive patterns that we associate with this product. In the last ten years, this product has become very popular because of its "green" status and the many colors, patterns and installation types available to the consumer. Bamboo removes more carbon (up to 70%) than hardwood forests each year, reducing the carbon footprint and because of this the LEED programs allows valuable points when you use this material.

Traditionally, manufacturers use thin stems of this material to create the flooring you see in at your home. These stems are first cut into flat strips of similar lengths. The strips (either varnished, stained or left natural) then get nailed to either wooden beams or larger adjacent pieces to create the familar pattern.

This technique, mostly used for stilted houses in southeast Asia, puts no emphasis on tightness and flatness, thus allowing more space between strips. The result is better circulation of air, an extremely beneficial characteristic during hot summer months.

The longevity of contemporary western flooring using Bamboo is enhanced through various processes - boiling immediately after harvest, removing starch and natural moisture; gluing strips in different ways (horizontal, vertical or strand weaving) and treatments making them scratch, moisture and UV resistant.  It is installed using adhesive or nails, while engineered planks - thin veneer layers applied to a composite base -  usually only link to each other, not to the subfloor.

China Manufacturers The Majority Of Bamboo Products

One of the most popular flooring materials out there is bamboo which originates from China and other parts of Asia. This raw material is not wood but a grass called "Moso" that grow extremely fast and requires little maintenance. The market demand for this material has been increasing drastically because of its reputation for its strength, durability and resistance to pests and moisture. All flooring is based on a Janka hardness test and Moso is rated from 1180 (carbonized horizontal) to 1380 (natural) and traditional wood is rated at 1290 for red oak, 1360 for white oak, 1450 for rock maple, 1820 for hickory and 2350 for Brazilian cherry /Jatoba. The higher the number the more durable the flooring is. During the manufacturing process, the raw material are cut into thin flat strips that are trimmed to the same lengths and then stained and varnished to create its distinctive pattern. These fine stems are then adhered by nails to larger stems or beams leaving small spaces in between to provide better circulation of air during the warmer months of the year.

Eco Friendly And Renewable

Bamboo is considered the tallest grass in the world and grows up to 47 inches in 24 hours and reaches an astounding height of 78 feet and reaching maturity in just 3 to 5 years. Because Moso is essentially a weed with a rhizome root system it will regenerate after each harvesting. This root system grows very rapidly in a lateral pattern, sending new stalks to the surface and also helps bind the soil together to prevent soil erosion. It takes Moso a full five years from start to harvest and only 20% of the forest is harvested annually to make sure there is always a supply of raw material available. The grass grows ver quickly when left alone and requires absolutely no care. It matures with no irrigation or fertilizers and repels all pests making pesticides unnecessary.