You might not believe it, but the best bamboo flooring can be just as durable as hardwood flooring. Depending upon the specific process used to convert raw bamboo into bamboo flooring tiles, it can actually be considerably harder than many kinds of wooden floors.
The system used to classify the hardness of different types of hardwood floors is called the “Janka” scale. Since few laypeople have knowledge of the Janka scale, an example might help to serve as a point of reference. That being said, the hardness of standard construction bamboo usually falls between 900 and 1200 on the Janka scale, which is about the equivalent of the hardness of red oak. On the other hand, the hardness of “strand woven” bamboo is roughly the same as Brazilian cherry, with a Janka hardness between 2000 and 3200.
Given the fact that the Janka scale maxes out at about 3600, the above information shows that bamboo flooring is more than enough to last as long as even the hardest wood floors. In fact, there are some bamboo flooring companies that claim to manufacture bamboo flooring that would come in at about 5000 on the Janka scale if it went that high!
While you can clearly see that the best bamboo flooring possesses the physical traits to endure the daily abuse that long-lasting flooring materials must be able to withstand, its durability isn’t even the biggest advantage of bamboo flooring. After all, the reason that more companies are manufacturing bamboo flooring in the first place isn’t because it is just as strong as hardwood flooring. The biggest benefits of bamboo flooring can be attributed to it’s eco-friendly attributes.
Bamboo is really not a wood at all, but it is actually classified as a species of grass. Actually, this is the reason that the best bamboo flooring is not only more environmentally friendly than oak floors, but the flooring material the offers the best combination durability and sustainability. Although this might be hard to believe, under ideal growing conditions, some species of bamboo has been known to grow more than four feet tall within a 24 hour period!
Considering its many advantages, you might think that bamboo flooring is probably far too expensive too make it practical. On the contrary, the cost of bamboo flooring is about the same as the most common wood flooring; and laying bamboo flooring requires no special equipment or techniques, either.
If you are the type of homeowner who strives to do his or her part to improve the environment, you might consider the possibility of bamboo flooring. Given it’s affordability, it’s merely a matter of making the choice.
More can be found here: astoriafloors.com.au
