Bamboo Flooring Durability

Bamboo, as we all know is a very common plant used for aesthetic and building purposes. In fact apart from its native areas, which is almost all around the globe, it is gaining a lot of popularity lately in building and construction. Clearly, that is considering that it is environment friendly and sustainable. A disadvantage of this factor though, is seen in the way the companies and dealers have overrated it and made huge profits. As all types of bamboo are not of great quality, for some customers who opt for bamboo it definitely pinches pockets, when they end up paying for low-grade bamboo. The quality and durability of bamboo flooring are not one dimensional things. There are several aspects associated with them. The text below will throw light on this issue.

Factors Affecting the Durability of Bamboo

Hardness, although different from durability, does help in enhancing the latter. Hardness of bamboo floor depends on the area where the bamboo is grown, the type and the maturity of the harvested stalks. Hardness is the resistance of a particular type of bamboo to denting. Other factors that add to the durability are anti-scratch properties and the sheen of the flooring. Moreover, dimensional stability adds to the durability of the flooring.

This is what bamboo is endowed with naturally. What adds to the durability is the fact that before the bamboo is used in construction, it is always treated with a strengthening chemical process. There are a few other things that makes it durable even before bamboo undergoes this process.

• Bamboo's green outer skin is removed to leave the bamboo stalk stripped or filleted at the time of harvest. This is the foundation for an excellent bamboo flooring.
• The bamboo strips are also boiled and dried to remove moisture and starch from it.
• Boiling the bamboo further makes it carbonized and the level of boiling gives different hues to the bamboo. These hues help in enhancing the design of the flooring. Carbonized bamboo flooring has better durability.
• For the flooring, bamboo strips are glued together. This not only facilitates a good design, but also increases the strength of the flooring. This is true especially when it comes to vertical bamboo flooring.
• Strand woven bamboo is also another type which adds durability to the flooring.
• Engineered bamboo is more durable than pure bamboo. For pure bamboo, special preservatives are used to improve the usability of bamboo for flooring.

However, all said and done, bamboo is almost at par with regards to being durable with other types of wood flooring. Of course there are certain types of wood which are tougher than bamboo. Higher quality stalks used for longer boards and resulting good quality shorter boards is a good option.

Factors Affecting Purchase of Bamboo Flooring

When you actually go to buy bamboo flooring, remember the following things which will tell you the quality of the plank -

• Opt for straight milled planks processed on hydraulic and electronic equipment. Cheap brands are made using hand presses and mills, which can fall apart at any time. Beware of these cheap brands.
• Little or no filler used in addition to inconsistent use of quality materials is a cause for low quality planks.
• In a wide plank, there should be cross wise layers. If a wide plank does not have crosswise formation, it can warp or cup. Hence it is essential that the wide plank bamboo flooring you opt for, has a middle crosswise layer.

These things might seem technical, but don't worry the dealer should know about these things.

There, that was what there is to know about the durability of bamboo flooring. Finally there are many people who are of the opinion that bamboo is not durable. But if properly chosen and treated, it can be durable.