Bamboo is gaining popularity as a viable alternative to hardwood flooring primarily due to its resistance toward moisture and insects. Bamboo flooring looks similar to the one made of hardwood but significantly better in terms of strength and durability.
Most of the Bamboo flooring products are manufactured in the Asian countries, especially in China. In the most common method of making these products, bamboo stems are cut thin and flat to similar lengths which in turn are nailed down to pieces of wood or bamboo itself. The flat bamboo pieces are either strained and varnished or used as it is.
Many of the flooring options available in US markets use processed or treated bamboo. Harder floors are made by boiling the bamboo pieces in a mixture of boric acid and lime which are then dried and shaped. Softer ones are made through what is called a carbonizing process where the pressure and temperature are controlled. The carbonized bamboo has a more brownish color as compared to the processed ones.
Two types of flooring are done using bamboo panes called vertical and horizontal. In vertical Bamboo flooring, the pieces are held vertically on a plank which is also vertical and then laminated on the side. In the case of horizontal flooring, the pieces are arranged in horizontal direction and joined on the side using a laminate system at high pressure. While the vertical flooring looks more uniform, the horizontal one shows up the bamboo nodes occasionally. While installing, individual flooring planks are locked to each other using the interlocking mechanism. By changing alignment and color, various styles of flooring can be produced.
Bamboo has gained the reputation of being eco friendly and rapidly renewable material due to its special characteristics. It grows very fast as compared to other trees and do not get destroyed once it is cut. New plants come up from the stubs itself. The growth is very rich and the cut bamboos are replenished within a few years.