Posted on 2014-9-24 14:37:23
Many people are skeptical about bamboo floorings as most of us have came across bamboo was either limited to wind chimes or the bamboo shades we used to have coffee. Well, time again it has been proved that bamboo is not only great choice for floorings but it also is stylish, elegant and durable. This eco friendly flooring has wide verities in terms of pattern, style, colors and textures so it is obvious that people buying bamboo flooring for the first time will get confused. However, if you ask yourselves three important questions then buying bamboo flooring will be easier for you.
Guide to Buying Bamboo Flooring
What Kind of Floor Do You Need?
There are two major variants in bamboo floors glue down and floating. As the name suggests glued down means either bamboo floor planks are glued to the concrete floor lying underneath or they are nailed to the subfloor, which is mostly made up of plywood. Whereas floating floor means bamboo planks are so manufactured that they have tongues and groves, which helps them to adhere in place without gluing or nailing to the underlying floor.
What Is More Suitable Solid or Engineered?
Solid and engineered are the two major categories in bamboo flooring. When solid planks are made from pure bamboo, engineered planks have a thin layer compromising about 1/8’ layer of bamboo veneer spread across composite wood. This is actually a hard decision to make because the answer will directly affect your budget. Usually solid bamboo planks are more expensive than engineered, but engineered bamboo planks are far better in heavy moisture laden localities. On the contrary, when it comes to durability and refinishing solid bamboo planks is the best choice. Therefore selecting according to your budget, preference, room where you want to lay the flooring and ease of installation to make this decision easier.
What Will You Prefer Horizontal, Vertical or Strand?
Having decides the type of planks and installation procedures it is time to evaluate and select the grain structure of bamboo flooring. As of now, there are three major options vertical, horizontal and stranded grain textures. In horizontal grains, your floor surface will get a characteristic look of bamboo showing joints of knuckles in natural bamboo. In vertical grains, your finished floor will show vertical stripes along with edges. Lastly, in stranded, which are also called as strand woven bamboo grains your finished floor will get differentiating color but the aura and natural color of bamboo will be highlighted.