Thursday, January 1, 2009

The Benefits of Bamboo Flooring

By Walter Tunk

Bamboo flooring provides an fantastic alternative to traditional hardwood flooring.

Rising in popularity as an alternative, bamboo flooring has quite a few attractive features that make it a feasible choice for modern homeowners.

Though harvested mostly in China, bamboo flooring can now be found easily in both European and North American markets.

Many early adopters of bamboo flooring note its environmental friendliness.

The bamboo plant regrows within a few seasons and can be harvested repeatedly without lasting damage.

In fact, the bamboo plant is considered a grass, as it grows far quicker than a forest.

When done responsibly, bamboo plant harvesting can be done without causing any lasting damage.

How does bamboo flooring compare with traditional hardwoods? High quality bamboo flooring is harder and more durable than even the most expensive hardwood flooring.

Moisture is also less of a problem for bamboo flooring. Where traditional hardwood may buckle and crack because of water exposure, bamboo flooring will keep out water without a problem.

Bamboo flooring is processed as a laminate and treated under extremely high pressure with a high quality glue.

This makes bamboo flooring extremely sturdy and resistant to abrasion, where a hardwood floor would end up revealing scratches.

Bamboo flooring has become a great deal more affordable in recent times as well.

Best of all, bamboo flooring is simple enough to lay down without any professional help.

Like many of the newer hardwoods, bamboo flooring is produced with a tongue and groove construction, making them considerably easier to install.

Before installing a bamboo floor, allow the planks to adjust to their new environment for no less than 72 hours.

While bamboo flooring does not suffer from water damage like hardwood, they do need some time to adjust to their new climate before installation.

What should be done to maintain a bamboo floor? Maintenance requirements are fairly simple for bamboo flooring.

Make certain to sweep and mop the floor after it is laid down.

Regular dusting and sweeping should be done after installation. This will prevent a build up of dust that can dull the finish.

A rug should be located at the entryway to prevent dust and dirt from coming into the room.

Dirt and small rocks will end up damaging the finish, and a rug can do a great deal to prevent this problem. - 15485

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