Bamboo is a Greener Flooring Choice that Other Types of Wood Floors
Bamboo is considered by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to be rapidly renewable. It grows to its full height in one year, but takes five years more to reach adequate thickness. During the manufacturing process, waste is burned in old boilers, causing larger amounts of air pollution and the release of carbon into the atmosphere. It’s either pressed into vertical or horizontal grain. Horizontal bamboo is three layers.
Vertical
Horozontal
Bamboo has several quality concerns...
Many quality issues can quickly arise with bamboo flooring. Bamboo is prone to cupping – when the edges of a board are high and the center is lower. The cells of bamboo are much larger than wood. If it gets exposed to very much moisture, it will tear itself apart. Because it’s lighter in color and uniform, it shows wear and tear much more than other wood floors.
Stability Issues
Moisture Issues
Scratching Issues
Sometimes bamboo is described as rapidly renewable, rapidly replaceable.
PROS
- Rapidly Renewable
- Uniform Light Color
- Asian Design Esthetic
CONS
- Moisture Sensitive
- Shows Dirt Easily
- Unknown Glue Emissions
- Carbon Footprint (12,000 miles away)
- Questionable Life Span
It begs to ask the question, “If you have to replace your bamboo floor more frequently, does it matter if it’s renewable? And if our own domestic species are also renewing faster than they are being harvested, does it really matter?” True if compared to a Tropical Hardwood, False if compared to a Domestic Hardwood or FSC certified Tropical Hardwood.
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