Timber Flooring vs Bamboo Flooring | Home Improvement

By MarkHutchison
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Timber flooring has been around for a long time, in the form of solid wood or veneered (floating timber) floors. It's the first choice for people who want their homes to include the warm look of wood, or who just don't like carpet. There haven't been a lot of other options.

However, that has changed in recent years. Bamboo flooring is an environmentally friendly, strong, lasting alternative to using timber flooring. Here's some information about bamboo and how it performs against floating and solid timber.

Floating timber floors, unlike the more expensive solid timber type, are made of a layer of wood veneer a few millimeters thick, laminated on top of a less expensive timber, or even a composite material made from waste wood. Bamboo floors are made of solid bamboo, offering greater durability over time for less than you'd pay for a solid timber floor. Plus, bamboo is a stronger, harder to damage material than almost any wood.

A bamboo floor, unlike floating timber, is fixed permanently to the surface on which it sits. That makes it a lot more stable than timber. There's less movement or opening of the joints between the individual pieces.

Unlike both floating and solid timber floors, bamboo flooring doesn't sound hollow when walked upon. It's also a lot harder to scratch and easier to clean than either type of timber floor.

Since there's little to no movement between pieces of bamboo flooring, you can easily refinish your floor. Bamboo provides a better surface than solid timber, and veneered timber can't be resurfaced at all!

A veneered wood floor that's damaged must be replaced, while a comparable bamboo one could be resurfaced. That means you could get up to another decade out of your floor.

If you've got environmental concerns about the materials you put in your house, you'll probably prefer bamboo. While both of them are renewable resources from natural sources, it takes a lot longer to replace timber forests. While veneered timber flooring uses less valuable hardwood in its manufacture, it relies on wood waste and softwoods to provide support for the veneer. Composites used in this material may use toxic glues, as well.

These types of practices occur mostly in countries that don't regulate or enforce their regulations. All you have to do to find out if your bamboo is being grown sustainably is do a little research. There are plenty of products out there that are made with environmentally sustainable bamboo - just find out what you can to be sure you're getting the product you're paying for.

You may find that bamboo looks a lot different than ordinary timber. While the appearance of this grass is appealing to many, it might not work out well if you really love the feel and look of hardwood. For many people, however, the lack of environmental damage and durability of bamboo makes the appearance change worthwhile.

You can find bamboo flooring in just about any finish or color - it'll go with any decorating scheme. Finding flooring that works well in your home is simple in most cases.

If you've been considering bamboo flooring, or just want to find out more, take a look online. There are lots of stores offering bamboo flooring that'll last for years, feel a lot like hardwood, and be kind to the world around you.

About the Author

While timber flooring has always been popular in Western Australia, bamboo floors are now starting to take market share, due to a range of great reasons. Visit Bamboozle in Perth - www.bamboozle.com.au - to learn more.

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