This guide, along with its associated pages, is a comprehensive informational and educational resource for bamboo flooring. We have compiled all the information you need to confidently research this sustainable product. Our guide covers everything from the types of bamboo flooring to the latest manufacturing techniques and environmental benefits. If you have already decided to purchase bamboo flooring and want to see bamboo flooring prices and cost we recommend you shop for bamboo flooring products here.
Why did we compile this guide? Bamboo floors are a relatively recent addition to the market, having first emerged in the mid-1990s, and there's a significant amount of misleading information online, some of it due to that fact that the original versions were less robust than the newer style of bamboo floors. Way back in 2005, Ambient® became one of the first companies in the world to pioneer the incredible product known as strand woven bamboo flooring. Over the years we've served tens of thousands of homeowners, builders, and architects across the globe, shipping our quality floors to all 50 U.S. states and such far away lands as Europe, Africa and beyond, amassing a wealth of information about this fantastic product.
There are three kinds of bamboo flooring grains available in today's market: horizontal, vertical, and strand woven. Horizontal and vertical bamboo flooring are made from flats strips of dried bamboo, and the strips are glued together in either a horizontal or vertical arrangement and then milled into planks. Strand woven bamboo floors are shredded strands of bamboo that are compressed together and then milled into flooring planks. All three processes create unique grains that are different in appearance. For a more detailed look into the actual manufacturing process, we recommend checking out our in depth post about How Bamboo Flooring Is Made.
Horizontal and vertical bamboo floors (what we now call 'classic' solid bamboo) were the first products to hit the market in the mid-90′s, and were known then as 'solid' bamboo. However, a few years later strand woven bamboo floors arrived on the scene and they are also "solid", consisting of high-quality Moso bamboo strands that are compressed and are through the entire plank. Bamboo (like hardwood) also comes in engineered planks (this is the type of flooring that is usually floated). To get a better idea of the difference between solid, strand and engineered bamboo flooring, continue reading below.
As with any floor you'll want to first study up on the types of construction and their installation methods - each type has its own unique set of benefits. We hope this guide helps you determine what flooring type is best for you.
The 6 main types of bamboo floors are: solid strand, solid strand "floating", tongue and groove engineered, SPC rigid core, click-lock engineered, and solid horizontal and vertical. Familiarizing yourself with the different types ensures that you'll choose the right style for every project and that you won't experience problems with your installation. If you're looking for durability, we recommend strand woven bamboo; if you're looking for ease of installation, check out floating bamboo floors.
Bottom Line: The perfect combination of toughness, beauty, eco-friendliness and affordability. Can be nailed down or glued down (even on concrete) and there are no run limits. Holds up great against pets and children, can be used in kitchens, and is available in premium wide planks at a fraction of what you'd pay for traditional hardwoods.
*A "run" refers to the consecutive distance the floor extends in any given direction
**Opening the windows in your home for a full day is okay.
Bottom Line: Floating solid (wood all the way through) wood floors generate a lot of complaints about shrinkage, as these floors should only be installed in homes with very stable humidity. If you want a floating floor we strongly recommend using an engineered bamboo floor (not solid) as engineered floors have much higher dimensional stability and aren't nearly as susceptible to humidity variation.
*A "run" refers to the consecutive distance the floor extends in any given direction
**Opening the windows in your home for a full day is okay.
Bottom Line: If you want to float a hardwood floor, engineered click lock bamboo is the way to go - it's tough, beautiful and easy to install. We recommend choosing an engineered floor with a minimum 2mm wear layer (can be refinished twice) and a high quality 3 in 1 underlayment that has a high STC sound rating - this will result in a final product that looks and feels exactly like solid hardwood when you walk on it.
Bottom Line: Technically this is an engineered floor due to its multi-layered design however it's different enough to warrant its own category! Why? Because it's highly water resistant, and exhibits little to no expansion and contraction. The Ambient® brand version also happens to include a nifty acoustic vapor barrier pad attached underneath which allows it to be installed directly on concrete or any other level surface as long as it's not excessively wet*. With its stone polymer core and thick 40 mil wear layer, it's dimensionally stable, comfortable underfoot, and is built to last for years and years.
* 'Excessively wet' is defined as emitting moisture > 20 lbs per sq ft as determined by a calcium chloride test (usually a very small percentage of sub-floors). In these cases you will first need to lay down a plastic vapor barrier sheet or similar.
*A "run" refers to the consecutive distance the floor extends in any given direction
**Opening the windows in your home for a full day is okay.
Bottom Line: Similar to the click lock engineered bamboo floors mentioned above, this tongue and groove version is very stable for floating installations. The downside as a floating floor is that they're a bit harder to install as you have to manually apply the bead of glue along the inside of the grooves of each plank. Can also be nailed down or glued down.
Bottom Line: If you like modern looking floors, these are for you. However these floors are not intended for use in high traffic environments. From a hardness perspective they're just mid-range, more similar to Red Oak than to strand woven bamboo, which means these floors are more susceptible to denting and scratches over time.
Different surface styles and variations are used to create a unique and rustic look to bamboo, just as with hardwoods. Here are the primary surface styles you can choose from.
Thicker wear layer translates to better quality.
Like traditional hardwood floors, bamboo comes in both engineered and solid versions. The term "Engineered" simply means that the top of the plank is composed of a wood wear layer, which is laminated to a substrate - usually made of multi-ply wood or high density fiberboard (HDF). The thicker the wear layer, the better the qualit, and quality engineered bamboo with a thick wear layer can be refinished. Multi-ply cores are usually better quality (and more resitant to moisture) than HDF cores.
If you want to float the floor, always choose engineered.
Solid bamboo can be either nailed down or glued down to just about any sub-floor, including concrete. Engineered flooring is a favorite of DIY'ers and large building contractors due to its fast and easy "floating" click lock installation method, where the planks are snapped together quickly. Engineered flooring is recommended for basements. Both click-together and tongue and groove engineered floors can be glued down if needed. Solid wood floors should never be floated.
Differences in durability and safety.
From a durability perspective there is no difference - all strand woven bamboo (both engineered or solid) can be installed throughout all rooms in the home. Solid bamboo and wood floors should not be installed in basements. Strand bamboo (engineered and solid) is water-resistant up to 30 hours and rigid core bamboo floors (which are considered engineered floors) are 100% waterproof. There is no difference in indoor air quality between engineered and solid but we recommend checking to ensure the brand you choose meets the CARB Phase 2 indoor air standard and is Floorscore certified.
Traditional hardwood floors with planks wider than 4 inches and longer than 4 feet have always been considered "premium" and usually come with a premium price tag too ($8 per sq ft or higher). Conversely, due to its rapid regrowth rate, bamboo is available in wide, long (premium) planks at around half of the cost (usually $4-$8 per square foot delivered).
Before you get started on research, keep these important things in mind:
As you do your research, you may come across poor reviews from homeowners or installers that have had bad experiences with low quality brands. Here's where we set the record straight on the most common myths and misconceptions.
This usually happens when using poor-quality brands or when rooms have wildly varying humidity. In both cases, you'd have the same problem with hardwood floors. As with all floors common installation errors are easily avoided by taking 20 minutes to read the installation instructions.
That's true. But the bamboo used to make flooring is not the kind pandas eat or inhabit. In fact, Pandas don't live in the areas where we harvest our Moso bamboo.
Some products that are made in China are low-quality, this is true. But there are also very high-quality products made in China, like iPhones, Mercedes, and all Ambient® products! Reputable suppliers carefully control the manufacturing process and supply chain, and enact strict quality control processes to ensure the products are superbly crafted and hyper durable.
Strand woven bamboo is extremely difficult to dent compared to most other hardwoods. This makes it virtually pet-claw proof from a "permanent denting" standpoint, as even the largest dogs can't apply enough force to leave permanent marks. This is precisely one of the main reasons why homeowners choose strand bamboo.
As for micro-scratches on the surface, there is no surface on earth (diamond floors, anyone?) that won't scratch when hit with something sharp enough, so no floor is scratch-proof. To minimize scratches from furniture and everyday activity, and keep your floors in tip-top shape, try these tips:
Bamboo can indeed be refinished, we even have a guide on how to do it: How to Refinish Bamboo Flooring. What you can't do to bamboo is stain it on site – but you can certainly sand it down and then add several clear coats of polyurethane. Also, if you take proper care of your floor it will last you decades, and if you purchase a high quality bamboo brand, it's highly unlikely you will ever need to refinish it (under residential foot traffic) due to it's insanely dense composition and resistance to moisture and high traffic.
Many hardwoods harvested in the Americas, Europe and even Asia are first shipped to China for milling and finishing, and then shipped BACK to retail locations around the world. That's two shipments compared to one (bamboo grown in China and shipped out from there). Also, due to its insanely fast regrowth rate, bamboo forests generate orders of magnitude more biomass then their hardwood counterparts and take about 1/10 of the time on average to regrow for harvest. Additionally, when bamboo is harvested, the plant isn't killed, unlike trees used for wood. New growth emerges every spring. So continually harvesting bamboo is way better for the environment than waiting decades for hardwoods to grow, then damaging the soil when cutting them down. For an in-depth read on how bamboo is eco-friendly, check out our article Examining the Effects of Hardwood, Cork and Bamboo Flooring on the Environment.
Bamboo is considered a rapidly-renewable resource due to its rapid regrowth rate. There are lots of different species of bamboo, and all of them are evergreen and belong to the grass family Poaceae. Like other grasses, bamboo stems are hollow, which helps the bamboo plant grow rapidly and make it one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. Did you know that bamboo is also used for food, paper, and just about a gazillion household products like cutting boards, kitchen cabinets, and many more?!
Small varieties can grow to a height of 3 feet in 24 hours, but that's not the kind used in flooring. Moso bamboo is considered a "giant" bamboo and is the best for flooring products. This amazing plant uses the energy it absorbs from the sun and soil to build a massive system of roots called rhizomes.
For the first 4 years of growth, there will be no evidence of the massive growth happening below ground. In the spring of year 5, however, a few new plants will break through the ground and grow at an explosive rate for about 6 weeks, which is when they typically run out of energy.
Native to China, Moso bamboo commonly grows to heights of 40-80 feet. Yet, not every Moso plant will grow that tall because bamboo grows in clusters (groves) with taller plants emerging each "generation".
That first generation of new Moso bamboo plants will grow to about 10 feet tall. As this happens, the bamboo grove has more leaves pulling in energy from the sun, and the root system grows stronger. As a result, the batch of plants that push up the next spring can grow taller!
Now the grove has even more leaves and the root system gains more strength and grows wider. The pattern of higher plants each spring continues for 8-10 years, at which point the grove reaches its maximum height.
In nature, each bamboo plant can live about 10-15 years, depending on the variety. Whenever a plant dies or is cut down, the grove doesn't die. Instead, it uses its energy to replace the plant.
Strand woven bamboo is considerably harder than either of its horizontal or vertical cousins, and all conventional hardwood flooring - by far. Bamboo is a grass, not a wood, even though it's classified as hardwood flooring. This means it's fibrous and flexible in its unprocessed state, and we make the most of the plant's natural properties to produce highly durable flooring.
To do this, manufacturers take long strips of raw bamboo and weave them together to create woven "mats". The strands are woven and thus that's where the name "strand woven" originates from. But that wouldn't be enough to create durable flooring. So then the woven mats are exposed to high heat and fused together to an extreme by compression machines.
The result is flooring planks that rank much, much higher than any other hardwood flooring on the Janka Hardness Scale. So high that strand woven bamboo is way harder than even Brazilian Walnut (sometimes called Ipe), Ebony, and Bolivian Cherry.
Yes, it's installed just like traditional hardwood flooring: via the nail down, glue down, or floating methods. We also offer a very thorough Bamboo Flooring FAQ section at the bottom of this page, with a specific sections about installation and much more. Want to read Ambient's official installation guide? We have both an English Version and a Spanish Version available for you! Whether you're installing yourself or having a professional do it, here are a few general tips:
Follow these basic guidelines and you're sure to get years of enjoyment from your floor:
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