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Bamboo Flooring VS. Other Flooring Types

Check out the cost of bamboo flooring and see how they it stacks up against other floors. There are plenty of types of flooring available to homeowners today.

Which type best suits your needs? Find out by using our handy guide to see how different options stack up against each other based on the most important factors to consider.

Want to know more about bamboo flooring? Check out our Educational and Information Guide To Bamboo Flooring.

Main Factors Bamboo Flooring Solid Hardwood Flooring Engineered Hardwood Flooring Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) Wood-Look Tile (Ceramic) Carpet Cork Flooring Polished Concrete
hammer
HARDNESS
Dent/damage-resistance
10
7
7
7
10
2
2
10
eco friendly
ECO-FRIENDLINESS
Sustainability/renewability
10
6
6
3
9
2
10
9
indoor air pollution
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Off-gassing/toxicity
9
9
10
8
9
2
8
9
temperature
COMFORT UNDERFOOT
Warm vs. cool
9
9
9
5
3
10
10
3
water resistant
WATER-RESISTANCE
Spills/moisture
8
7
7
9
10
2
9
10
price tag
PRICE
Cost, value, and ROI
9
6
6
9
9
10
9
9
pine
NATURAL MATERIAL
Organic vs. synthetic
10
10
8
1
1
2
10
9
forest
NATURAL LOOK & FEEL
Natural variety/patterns
10
10
10
6
6
2
10
5
spanner
Ease of Installation
Labor intensity
8
9
9
10
6
10
10
6
settings
Ease of Maintenance
Cleaning and care
8
8
8
8
9
5
8
8

Strand Woven Bamboo: Tougher than the Toughest Hardwoods

Ambient's strand woven bamboo and eucalyptus flooring scores 4,000 to 5,000 on the Janka Hardness Scale.

Janka Hardness Scale (lbf)
  • 0
  • 500
  • 1000
  • 1500
  • 2000
  • 2500
  • 3000
  • 3500
  • 4000
  • 4500
  • Strand Woven Bamboo / Eucalyptus (avg. 4000-5000)
  • Brazilian Cherry
  • Hickory
  • Acacia
  • Maple
  • White Oak
  • Ash
  • Red Oak
  • Walnut

What is the Janka Hardness Scale?

The Janka hardness scale is an industry-wide standard for the measurement of the hardness of wood. The test measures the amount of force required to embed a .444-inch steel ball to half its diameter into a material. The more force required to embed the steel ball, the harder the material is and the higher the Janka rating.

What is a Good Janka Hardness Rating?

As a general rule of thumb, the wood species used for flooring should generally have a Janka rating of 1,000 or higher.

Note: regardless of a floor's Janka score, all flooring is subject to denting and wear given the wrong conditions.

Read more about the Janka Hardness Scale

Flooring Comparison

Bamboo
bamboo flooring

Bamboo is not actually a species of wood but rather a grass. It is a rapidly renewable resource. When used for flooring, it offers a natural yet unique look.

Strand woven bamboo has a Janka rating of ~4,500.
Bamboo plants reach maturity in just 3-5 years.
The average cost of bamboo floors is $3-$7/sq. ft.
VS
  • Hardness
  • Eco-Friendly
  • Price
hardwood flooring
Hardwood

Hardwood flooring is typically made using oak, maple, ash, and cherry trees. Although hardwoods are natural, they are not rapidly renewable.

Solid hardwood has a Janka rating of ~2,000.
Hardwoods take 20-30 years to reach maturity.
The average cost of hardwood floors is $4-$8/sq. ft.

THE FINAL ANALYSIS: Both hardwood and bamboo floors exhibit attractive, natural variation in the grain and are available in a wide range of styles that equally suit traditional homes, modern decor, and anything in-between. But bamboo truly takes the cake as the more durable, eco-friendly, and affordable flooring option.

Bamboo Flooring VS Other Floors: Side-By-Side Comparison

Bamboo Flooring VS Cork Flooring

So which surface is better for your home: bamboo or cork flooring? Both bamboo and cork floors are made from natural, sustainable plants, so you might anticipate they are similar in many other ways too. To a large extent, you would be correct. But some striking differences are likely to tip the balance, depending on your main priorities when choosing the best flooring for your home. As with many things in life, it’s the subtle differences that make all the difference.

bamboo flooring vs cork flooring
HARDNESS (Resistance to Denting)
Bamboo flooring

As you can see from many articles on this blog, bamboo flooring is a tough flooring material and highly resistant to denting. It is substantially harder than most hardwoods (Read our blog, How Strong is Bamboo Flooring Compared to Hardwood? for more information.). And strand woven bamboo is the hardest natural flooring material available. We rate the hardness of bamboo and wood on the Janka scale, and below is a graph that explains what the Janka scale is and how it works.

janka hardness scale

Strand woven bamboo has a Janka rating of over 4,000, which is three times harder than solid oak. While we don’t recommend you walk on it in high heels, even heavy furniture is unlikely to dent it. For hardness, it receives 10 out of 10.

Cork flooring

Cork is a naturally soft material, so you might anticipate it would have a low Janka rating. Of course, you are correct; its Janka hardness is around 200, so it’s only one-fortieth as hard as strand woven bamboo. However, things aren’t necessarily as bad as they might appear. Cork is also a highly elastic material. Consequently, it will bounce back into shape from dents. However, once it exceeds its elastic limit, it is easily deformed. Walking on a cork floor in high heels will instantly destroy it, and leaving heavy furniture on it for any length of time will almost certainly cause dents. So, for hardness and resistance to denting, we give it just 2 points out of 10.

ECO-FRIENDLESS / DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo is probably the most sustainable building material on the planet. It grows very fast and has a significantly lower eco-cost than hardwoods. It is technically grass, not wood, and it can be ready to harvest under five years from planting. Even harvesting bamboo is sustainable since it doesn’t erode the local environment or damage flora and fauna. Taking in carbon dioxide has a more significant impact on reducing global warming than any other plant. For eco-friendliness, we give it maximum marks of 10 out of 10.

Cork flooring

Cork is also highly sustainable. It is a part of a bark known as the phellem layer and can be harvested without cutting down the tree. We strip the bark from the tree and let the tree continue to grow. It takes a long time for the tree to mature, typically 25 years or more, but the bark and cork grow back and can be re-harvested after another 9 years or so. The process doesn’t harm the tree, and it’s not unusual for the cork oak tree to live for 200 years. It doesn’t require pesticides and does not significantly deplete the water table. From an eco-friendly perspective, cork flooring scores 10 out of 10.

Harvest a cork oak tree
Harvesting a cork oak tree
INDOOR AIR QUALITY, OFF-GASSING, & FORMALDEHYDE EMISSIONS

Many of the materials we have in our homes compromise the quality of the air we breathe because they emit organic chemicals known as VOCs (volatile organic chemicals). In the U.S., on average, the amount of indoor pollutants exceeds outside pollution by five to ten times. For more information on indoor air pollution, please view the video below. These pollutants impact health, so it is clearly better to minimize them when we can, for instance, by choosing a flooring that is free or nearly free of them. So how do bamboo and cork flooring compare?

Bamboo flooring

The VOC content of bamboo is shallow and well within the most stringent indoor air quality guidelines. This is one of the reasons many people prefer bamboo over alternative materials. Even though the urea-formaldehyde adhesive is used to manufacture engineered bamboo flooring (as it is in other engineered hardwoods) and can produce a small amount of VOCs, the quantity is minuscule and well below the level that might affect your health. It scores 9 out of 10 for indoor air quality.

Cork flooring

Cork isn’t as free from VOCs as many people think. Researchers have discovered recently that the characteristic smell you get from cork flooring contains a range of VOCs, including:

  • Acetic acid
  • 2-ethyl-1-hexanol
  • 2-furfuraldehyde
  • Formaldehyde (occasionally)
  • Phenol (occasionally)

While these VOCs are within government guidelines and are (or at least should be) indicated on the labeling, they do add to the total VOC content of your living space. However, as their levels are low, we can give cork flooring a score of 8 out of 10.

COMFORT FOR WALKING / WARM UNDERFOOT
Bamboo flooring

Stepping onto a bamboo floor in bare feet always feels good. It has the natural warmth of wood, and even on a cold day, it doesn’t feel freezing. This is because heat flows slowly in wood due to its high thermal resistance, which is a little like electrical resistance; the higher its value, the lower the flux, whether it is heat or electrical current. The reason is that bamboo has a cellular structure that includes a large amount of space filled only with air. You can see this from the image below of bamboo fibers taken with a scanning electron microscope. This picture looks a bit spooky too. We give bamboo 9 out of 10 for comfort for walking.

Cork flooring

Bamboo is much harder than cork and more difficult to permanently damage, while Cork is a better thermal insulator than bamboo, and it’s soft and springy. Walking on a cork floor is more comfortable than walking on a bamboo floor, because its structure includes a high degree of porosity with each tiny air pocket surrounded by impermeable cell walls. For comfort underfoot, cork scores a 10 out of 10.

Electron Microscope image of bamboo structure
Electron Microscope image of bamboo structure
WATER RESISTANCE
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is water-resistant, but it is far from being waterproof. However, it is more water-resistant than hardwoods, and good quality bamboo flooring will resist damage from a puddle for 24 hours. But leave it much longer, and it might swell and discolor like normal hardwood flooring. Thus, you can use it in most rooms, but not in places such as bathrooms with bathtubs where it might be subject to water pooling. For water resistance, we give bamboo 8 out of 10.

Cork flooring

Cork is naturally water-resistant, which is one of the reasons it is used to seal wine bottles. Its water resistance is due to a naturally hydrophobic waxy material it contains called suberin. However, the problem is the flooring seams; they are susceptible to water damage if immersed in water, and the adhesive used to glue down the floor can also be damaged. That being said, manufacturers usually recommend you seal cork floors with a waterproof sealant after installation. We give cork flooring 9 out of 10 for water resistance.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY
Bamboo flooring

The price of bamboo flooring often surprises people. In many ways, bamboo is similar to hardwood, but it costs only a fraction of the price. Perhaps you can work out why. As we say above, bamboo matures in just 5 years while hardwood might take 25 years, so producing bamboo flooring is far more efficient. Since you can get premium wide plank bamboo floors at a reasonable cost, we give it 9 out of 10 for pricing.

Cork flooring

As we indicated above, the cork oak takes 25 years to mature, about the same time as white oak, But once it has matured, we can harvest cork from the trees every nine years. Most cork comes from Europe, where there is an abundant supply of cork oak trees and originally used for the wine industry. The ample supply and renewable nature of cork mean its pricing is similar to bamboo; we give it 9 out of 10 for pricing.

ORGANIC, NATURAL MATERIALS VS SYNTHETIC

Both bamboo flooring and cork flooring are entirely natural materials. They both use a little adhesive in their manufacturing, but the amount is relatively insignificant. Both bamboo and cork flooring receive 10 points out of 10 in the “being natural” category.

NATURAL VARIATION IN THE GRAIN – LOOK AND FEEL
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring has a natural grain different from that of hardwood, yet it can look surprisingly similar. The grain is due to the fibrous nature of the material. The result is that every bamboo flooring plank is individual. You will never find two the same. It looks and feels entirely natural. For natural variation, it gets 10 out of 10.

Cork flooring

Cork flooring doesn’t exhibit the same kind of grain structure grain variation in bamboo; it looks like cork. But because every cork flooring tile is unique, you will never find a repeating pattern. It has a look and feels of a natural material. It is a personal decision whether you prefer the look and feel of bamboo or cork, but for natural variation, we score it 10 points out of 10.

EASE OF INSTALLATION
Bamboo flooring

As we point out in this blog, installing a bamboo floor is within any skilled DIY enthusiast’s capacity. As long as you stick to the manufacturer’s guidelines, you should be able to lay a floor you can be proud of and will be the envy of your friends. If you would prefer a professionally installed bamboo floor, just about any handyman or carpenter can do it, as long as they follow the installation guide. For ease of installation, we give bamboo flooring 8 out of 10.

Cork flooring

Depending on the subfloor, if your floor is anything other than concrete, cork flooring is usually installed by gluing the tiles to a plywood overlay. If the subfloor is dry and flat concrete, you can stick the tiles directly onto the subfloor. The final step is to sand and polish the floor. No installation method could be simpler, so cork flooring scores 10 out of 10 for installation ease.

EASE OF MAINTENANCE
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo floors are easy to maintain and usually need no more than regular sweeping or vacuuming. It is essential to keep them free from dust and grit, as stepping on such debris can result in scratching the bamboo surface. Occasionally it would help if you deep cleaned with a proprietary wood or bamboo floor cleaner. We give bamboo 8 out of 10 for ease of maintenance.

Cork flooring

Maintaining a cork floor is similar to maintaining a bamboo floor. It just requires sweeping and vacuuming along with an occasional deep clean. The only difference is that every few years, you might consider resealing your cork floor with a proprietary polyurethane sealant. It also scores 8 out of 10 for ease of maintenance.

THE FINAL ANALYSIS

In the end, it all comes down to personal taste and lifestyle. If you’re someone whose priority is comfort underfoot, you can’t beat cork. However, if you’re someone who has always loved the look and feel of hardwood floors and wants the option of DIY installation to cut costs even further, then bamboo is definitely the way to go. If you already know you’re a bamboo-type of person, why not check out our Bamboo Flooring Pictures & Photo Gallery. The final score is:

Bamboo flooring: 91 points

Cork flooring: 86 points

Bamboo Flooring VS Polished Concrete

Choosing the best way to upgrade your home is never easy, and flooring is one of the most critical aspects of an upgrade, especially if you hope to increase your home’s value. Although they are very different, both bamboo flooring and polished concrete are attractive and robust flooring options. But, as Sherlock Holmes famously said, “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth,” so perhaps, after all, it is merely a matter of elimination.

Unfortunately, elimination isn’t always easy, not without a detailed and maybe a mathematical approach. We are creating a series of side-by-side comparisons between bamboo floors and viable alternatives to help you out. Here, we spell out all you need to know to choose between bamboo flooring and polished concrete so that you can eliminate one of them. We suggest you add up all the scores for the various categories, taking into account those most important to you and eliminating the flooring option that ends up with the lowest score.

bamboo flooring vs polished concrete
HARDNESS (Resistance to Denting)
Bamboo flooring

Strand woven bamboo is exceptionally resistant to denting, so it won’t be damaged even by heavy furniture. Resistance to the denting of wood can be assessed using the Janka Hardness rating. We determine this by measuring the force in pounds needed to drive a small steel ball with a diameter of 11.28 mm halfway into the wood. Gabriel Janka devised the test to assess what kinds of wood are suitable for flooring. Strand woven bamboo has a higher Janka rating than any hardwood and is up to three times harder than solid oak. On a scale of 1 to 10 for resistance to denting, it achieves a maximum score of 10.

Polished Concrete

There is no denying that polished concrete is hard, even harder than bamboo, and will never dent even with the heaviest furniture. Some people consider it to be too hard for comfort. If you drop anything breakable on it, it is entirely unforgiving. And falling on it is no fun at all. However, regarding resistance to denting, we award it full marks of 10 out of 10.

ECO-FRIENDLESS / DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo is one of the most sustainable building materials on the planet. Self-regenerating and fast-growing bamboo plantations improve the environment rather than harming it. It has a fantastic carbon capture profile, too, as it absorbs five times more carbon dioxide than a tree and pumps out 35% more oxygen. Because bamboo flooring doesn’t need much water, it doesn’t even deplete the planet’s precious water reserves. Also, it is naturally resistant to pests, thus eliminating the need to use pesticides. Bamboo’s eco-friendliness rating is 10 out of 10.

Polished Concrete

Polished concrete is more eco-friendly than you might think. We know that producing concrete creates a great deal of carbon dioxide and that the concrete industry produces 5% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions. However, most polished concrete floors are made from the concrete used to build the dwelling, so a polished concrete floor uses no new materials apart from the products used to harden, polish, and color it. While not being quite as environmentally friendly as bamboo, it gains 9 out of 10 points.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY, OFF-GASSING, & FORMALDEHYDE EMISSIONS
Bamboo flooring

The air quality in our homes and workplaces can hurt our health and is affected by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from our homes’ fabric. These pollutants can be particularly damaging to people with asthma and other respiratory problems. We can do many things to improve the air quality in our homes. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises protecting indoor air quality in your home.

Of course, the best way is to avoid materials susceptible to off-gassing and replace them with materials that don’t produce pollutants. Fortunately, bamboo flooring produces very few, if any, contaminants. The only pollutant emitter is the small amount of adhesive used in its manufacture. Because of this, its overall score for indoor air quality is 9 out of 10.

Polished Concrete

Polished concrete is also an extremely low emitter of VOCs. None is emitted by the concrete, though some are emitted by the hardening agents used to prepare the concrete for polishing and the various stains used to color it. As with bamboo, it also scores 9 out of 10 for air quality.

COMFORT FOR WALKING / WARM UNDERFOOT
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring feels naturally warm underfoot, even on a cold day. That’s because it doesn’t drain away from the heat from your body. If you think back to when you took science in high school, they probably tried to teach you about the second law of thermodynamics, which says that heat always flows from a warm body to a cold one and never the other way round. That’s what’s happening when you step onto a floor that is colder than you are. But there is another factor: the speed at which heat flows from a warm body to a cold one. When the thermal resistance is high, heat flows slowly; when it is low, heat flows quickly. Now, the thermal resistance of bamboo is very high, so heat flows into it very slowly, which is why it feels warm to the touch—enough science for now. In a nutshell, bamboo scores 9 out of 10 for comfort for walking.

Polished Concrete

Step onto a polished concrete floor barefoot in the early morning, and it feels like it could freeze your toes off. As we describe above, this is because its thermal resistance is meager, and it rapidly drains away from the heat from your body. Brrrrr – positively icy – it scores just three points out of 10 for comfort for walking.

It's like walking on ice...
It’s like walking on ice…
WATER RESISTANCE
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo is water-resistant, but it isn’t waterproof. As long as you clean up puddles within 24 hours, they will leave no trace behind. But if your bamboo floor is subject to frequent contact with water, such as in a shower room, it may show signs of swelling, which is precisely why we don’t recommend it for such applications. In normal use, however, it is unlikely there will be any problems. For water resistance, we give it 8 out of 10.

Polished Concrete

Polished concrete is so highly water-resistant that you can even use it in your pool. In fact, it’s completely waterproof. You can’t get better than that; it scores the full 10 out of 10.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is a steal. You can get much-sought-after wide planks at a much lower cost than hardwood wide planks and expect to only pay from $3 to $5 a square foot from stores online. The bonus is that it looks just as good as hardwood but is three times harder and is eco-friendly. It scores 9 out of 10.

Polished Concrete

Most polished concrete floors use existing concrete floors, so the price depends entirely on the relatively complicated polishing process. Naturally, if you need to lay down a new concrete layer, it will cost more. The price also depends on the area as there are certain fixed costs you will have to pay. Typically, prices vary from $4 a square foot up to $8 a square foot, though you can spend more on elegant finishes. Pricewise, is similar to bamboo flooring, so it also gets 9 out of 10.

ORGANIC, NATURAL MATERIALS VS SYNTHETIC
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo is a fast-growing grass and a member of the Poaceae family of true grasses. Large Bamboos look very much like trees and are often referred to as “bamboo trees,” though they are grasses. Whatever you want to call it, there is no disputing that it is entirely natural. If you are looking for environmentally friendly, natural flooring material, you can’t do better than bamboo; it scores 10 out of 10.

Polished Concrete

Of course, concrete isn’t organic. However, it does use natural and abundant materials. As we have pointed out, manufacturing concrete is harmful to the environment, though most polished concrete floors use the same structural concrete that forms the existing subfloors. After much deliberation and discussion, we award it a score of 5 out of 10 for this comparison.

NATURAL VARIATION IN THE GRAIN – LOOK AND FEEL
Bamboo flooring

As you are now aware, bamboo is grass rather than hardwood. So, unlike wood, it doesn’t have growth rings. Woodgrain is created by the growth rings, which occur due to the variation in wood color and texture produced by differences in its seasonal growth. However, bamboo is fibrous in nature, and this provides it with a beautiful natural grain that is different from hardwood yet looks and feels at least as good. You will never find two identical bamboo planks, so every bamboo floor is unique. We score it 10 out of 10.

Polished Concrete

You can produce a wide variety of finishes to a polished concrete floor and create large areas without repeating patterns. But, as attractive as they are, they entirely lack any natural variation. Because you can create a concrete floor devoid of repeating patterns, it scores 5 out of 10 in this category.

EASE OF INSTALLATION
Bamboo flooring

One of the attractions of bamboo flooring is that anyone with reasonable DIY skills should install it easily. There are several different options, and you will find detailed instructions for those options here. It is essential to ensure the integrity of the subfloor, and the guide covers this too. If you would prefer not to do it yourself, there will be no difficulty in locating a qualified installer who can do the job at a reasonable price. For ease of installation, we award it 8 out of 10.

Polished Concrete

If you have a concrete subfloor, you should be able to polish the surface yourself. However, this can be a little difficult, and most people would prefer using a specialist contractor. If you need to pour additional concrete before polishing, it isn’t usually a job you can do yourself; you will also need to let it sit for several days before you can start polishing it. Overall, we award it 6 out of 10 for ease of installation.

EASE OF MAINTENANCE
Bamboo flooring

Maintaining a bamboo floor is relatively easy and requires little more than usual housecleaning procedures. There may be times when your bamboo flooring requires a little extra maintenance, and this guide provides a link to detailed instructions on doing so. But as long as you clean regularly and use felt pads under sharp furniture legs, there should be no problems. For ease of maintenance, it scores 8 out of 10.

Polished Concrete

Polished concrete flooring is also easy to maintain and requires little more than standard house cleaning. However, in high traffic areas, it may lose its shine and need specialist attention. It is essential to avoid over-acidic or alkaline floor cleaners, which may damage the surface finish. We also give it 8 out of 10 for ease of maintenance.

THE FINAL ANALYSIS

We hope that the above information helps you eliminate another possibility. We have nothing against polished concrete floors; they can look great. But, let’s face it, in most respects, bamboo floors are better. The choice, however, is yours to make.

Bamboo: 91 points

Polished Concrete: 74 points

Bamboo Flooring VS Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is cheap to buy, readily available, and is sometimes considered an alternative to hardwood. At first glance, laminate floors look very similar to natural wood, but the differences aren’t too difficult to spot if you look a little more carefully. That nice-looking wood-like appearance doesn’t use any wood at all; it’s a photographic image of wood printed onto paper and protected by a razor-thin transparent plastic layer. To save you some head-scratching about whether laminate flooring is right for you, we have produced a detailed side-by-side comparison of the most critical aspects of laminate and bamboo flooring.

bamboo flooring vs laminate
HARDNESS (Resistance to Denting)
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring, especially strand woven bamboo flooring, is extremely resistant to denting. That’s hardly surprising since it’s at least three times harder and more resilient than real oak flooring. You can comfortably rest even heavy furniture on bamboo flooring without worrying about denting the floorboards. Many customer reviews on the web even show that you can confidently strut across this floor in high-heeled shoes and that it’s the only hardwood that cannot be permanently grooved by pet claws, it seems to be extremely resistant to wear and tear from heavy traffic. Here, we talk about the Janka hardness of bamboo and recommend reading it for more information on why strand woven bamboo is so hard. We score it 10 out of 10.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is tough and withstands heavy traffic as well as heavy loads. The durability of laminate floors is assessed by their AC (Abrasion Criteria) rating. While this isn’t the same as hardness, they are closely related. Laminate flooring is available with AC ratings of 1 to 5:

  • AC1 – poor resistance; only use in rooms that have occasional use, such as guest bedrooms
  • AC2 – can withstand light to moderate footfall
  • AC3 – fine for moderate footfall, for instance, living rooms
  • AC4 – heavy domestic footfall and light commercial use
  • AC5 – The safest choice for all domestic and commercial settings

Thus, it is important to check out the AC rating before installing laminate flooring, or you may well end up disappointed with its wear characteristics. We give it 8 out of 10 for hardness.

ECO-FRIENDLESS / DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Bamboo flooring

Nowadays, most people are, to some extent, concerned about the environment. There is now more than enough evidence that damaging the environment can have catastrophic consequences to our planet’s climate. Storms, hurricanes, flooding, heatwaves, devastating forest fires, and record life-threatening cold snaps are all the direct results of the environmental choices we make.

There is, however, no doubt that one of the most beneficial choices we can make is to use bamboo flooring. Bamboo, a grass, grows prolifically, reaching maturity for harvest in just five years. After harvesting, the plant naturally regenerates to come along five years later and pre-harvest it. There are many advantages to choosing bamboo flooring. We don’t need to use environmentally damaging pesticides, it doesn’t erode the soil, and it doesn’t even use much water. Its environmental credentials are impeccable. For eco-friendliness, we give it 10 out of 10.

Laminate flooring

Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about laminate flooring. It is not nearly as eco-friendly as bamboo, though it does have some positive environmental aspects. The bulk of laminate flooring is made from wood fibers derived mainly from recycled wood fiber and chips, which means that no new trees are used in the process. We can also recycle laminate floors. However, there are some aspects of laminate flooring that are not environmentally friendly. For instance, melamine resin is used in its manufacturing, and melamine resin is made from formaldehyde, a toxic, carcinogenic chemical. For eco-friendliness, laminate flooring scores 6 out of 10.

There is nothing quite like the sound of a bamboo forest; check out the video below.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY, OFF-GASSING, & FORMALDEHYDE EMISSIONS

We recommend you read what the US Protection Agency says about indoor air. Be warned, though; you might be a little shocked about what they have to say. Fortunately, they provide some excellent guidance on what we can do to improve air quality in our homes. The main culprit is VOC or Volatile Organic Compounds. Produced by off-gassing from a wide range of home products, we must do our best to minimize them.

Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is one of the best choices we can make for reducing VOCs in our homes. It is an entirely natural product that produces virtually no contaminants. Bamboo floors aren’t 100% VOC free; they produce a tiny amount from the adhesives used in their manufacture, but it is far better than many alternative products and passes all of the most strict indoor air standards. For indoor air quality, it gets 9 out of 10.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring has acquired a bad reputation for VOC emissions due to materials such as formaldehyde used in its manufacturing. Some laminate floors still do emit quantities of VOCs. However, if you shop around, you will find laminate flooring that boasts meager quantities of VOC emissions. We advise that you look at the CARB 2 compliance, which sets the limits for formaldehyde emissions. CARB stands for California Air Resources Board, and while this doesn’t apply across the US, progressively more states are adopting it, and it does make good sense.

There is nothing quite like the sound of a bamboo forest; check out the video below.

If you intend to use laminate flooring, we advise you to look at its CARB2 compliance rating. Overall, we give laminate flooring 6 out of 10 for indoor air quality.

For more information on formaldehyde, check out the video below.

COMFORT FOR WALKING / WARM UNDERFOOT
Bamboo flooring

Getting out of bed on a cold and frosty morning isn’t always a lot of fun, especially when the first thing your feet encounter is a cold floor. While rugs and carpets are the warmest options, bamboo flooring is also a close second and very much better than tile, polished concrete, or all those other toe-freezing alternatives. Bamboo flooring is naturally insulating, so it will never feel freezing. Walking barefoot on bamboo also feels really cool (not cold cool, just cool as in good), and you can always use a bedside rug for a little extra warmth. For comfort for walking, we give bamboo flooring 9 out of 10.

Laminate flooring

Regarding comfort for walking, there is technically little to choose between bamboo flooring and laminate. Scientifically, we can’t justify it, but it seems to feel nicer walking on bamboo than it feels walking on wood. We give it 8½ out of 10.

You need some extra warmth when Lake Mitchagan freezes
It would help if you had some extra warmth when Lake Michigan freezes.
WATER RESISTANCE
Bamboo flooring

While most bamboo floors aren’t 100% waterproof, rigid core bamboo flooring (with spc core) comes very close, and strand bamboo floors are also very water-resistant. Bamboo flooring can tolerate water spills for up to 30 hours without suffering ill-effects. It is considerably less susceptible to water damage than traditional woods which is why many homeowners choose to use bamboo flooring throughout their homes including in their kitchens, but it is not advisable to install them in places subject to frequent wetness, such as full baths with bathtubs where the bath water may leak over the side and get under the planks. As long as you take reasonable care, you won’t encounter any problems. We rate bamboo flooring’s water resistance as 8 out of 10.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is made out of fiberboard, paper, and a protective coating. While the protective coating itself is water-resistant, the bulk of the flooring isn’t. If you spill water onto a laminate floor, it will penetrate the gaps between the planks and cause the fiberboard to swell. Fiberboard acts like a sponge, soaking up the water and expanding in size. This causes severe damage, and the only cure is to replace the damaged floor. However, it is possible to find laminate flooring with claims of being waterproof. This product uses a waterproof coating to protect the grooves and underlying fiberboard. Still, even though it is more water-resistant than standard laminate, we suggest you read some reviews before committing to buy. For water resistance, laminate flooring scores 3 out of 10.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY
Bamboo flooring

Since bamboo grows so fast and is readily available, it costs much less than traditional wood floors in the same dimensions (wide planks and long lengths). Comparing bamboo flooring to hardwood, you get a significant price advantage while enjoying all the hardwood benefits and more. For pricing, we give it 9 out of 10.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is the budget option. Costing even less than bamboo, it’s a great solution for people on a tight budget. You can buy cheap laminate floors for around $0.99 per square foot, and the least expensive bamboo you will find is about $1.99 a square foot. Here’s the difference: the cheap laminate is manufactured so that you will have to replace the entire floor in as little as 10 years. Compare that to the cheap bamboo, which can still be sanded and refinished just like a hardwood floor. And for that extra dollar per square foot, you’re looking at floors that will last a lifetime. As one of the most affordable of all flooring options, laminate deserves your consideration. For pricing, we give it 10 out of 10.

NATURAL VARIATION IN THE GRAIN – LOOK AND FEEL
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring has a natural variation in the grain. Every bamboo flooring plank is uniquely different from every other and strand bamboo flooring has a unique marbled grain that sets it apart from other hardwoods. This is one of the main reasons a bamboo floor looks so great. Some bamboo flooring options look just like hardwood, while others have a different appearance; there are many to choose from. But all look entirely natural, stylish, and sumptuous. For natural variation in the grain, bamboo flooring scores 10 out of 10.

Laminate flooring

There are some great looking laminate floors. Manufacturers have developed various methods to emulate the look of hardwood, such as embossing it with a textured finish to make it appear even more like the hardwood it imitates. But ultimately, it is an imitation. Look at a laminate floor closely, and you will see repeated patterns on the planks. While it depends on the manufacturer, expect to see woodgrain patterns repeated every 8 to 20 planks. While that might not be a problem for you, once you notice it, it does tend to compromise the illusion that the flooring is natural. For natural variation in the grain, laminate gets 2 out of 10.

Natural Variation of Bamboo Floor
Natural Variation of Bamboo Floor
EASE OF INSTALLATION
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is highly versatile. You can glue it down, nail it down, or float it over the subfloor. You will find all the information you need for installing a bamboo floor in our blog. If you are reasonably skilled at DIY, you might choose to lay it yourself. Otherwise, it would help if you used a qualified floor installer. If you choose to do it yourself, be sure to follow the manufacturers’ guidelines and don’t try to take any shortcuts on steps such as subfloor preparation and acclimating the bamboo planks before laying them. For ease of installation, bamboo flooring scores 8 out of 10.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is easy to install, but it can only be floated on the subfloor; there are no options for nailing or gluing it down, and you must use an underlay. Again, the talk should be in the capability of a reasonably skilled DIY enthusiast, or else you should use a qualified fitter. For ease of installation, it scores 9 out of 10, just a little easier than bamboo.

EASE OF MAINTENANCE
Bamboo flooring

Looking after your bamboo floor or laminate floor is simple and uses basic common sense. There is little difference between laminate and bamboo for ease of maintenance. Sweep them regularly, use a proprietary cleaner once a week, and mop up any spills as soon as they occur (though there is more leeway with bamboo). The big no-no is steam mopping; neither bamboo nor laminate flooring will take kindly to a steam mop. Here is more on maintaining a bamboo floor, but you can also apply the principles to laminate floors.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is easy to install, but it can only be floated on the subfloor; there are no options for nailing or gluing it down, and you must use an underlay. Again, the talk should be in the capability of a reasonably skilled DIY enthusiast, or else you should use a qualified fitter. For ease of installation, it scores 9 out of 10, just a little easier than bamboo.

THE FINAL ANALYSIS

Hopefully, you won’t have to scratch your head any longer. It seems that although laminate flooring wins on price and is a little easier to install, it doesn’t quite live up to real bamboo flooring. Laminate flooring can look natural until you look hard, but bamboo is entirely natural, and the difference is telling.

Bamboo: 91 points

Solid Laminate: 67 ½ points

Bamboo Flooring VS Carpet

Should I install carpet or bamboo flooring? Big decisions like these aren’t always so easy to make. After all, it isn’t too difficult to come up with plenty of reasons to choose either of them. And, of course, there are always going to be trade-offs.

But don’t worry. We’re here to help you decide. Here, we consider both options’ most critical features and compare them on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most desirable. Of course, you also have to do some work. Some of the features we describe are likely to be more important to you than others. For instance, if you are particularly concerned about the environment and climate change, considerations such as eco-friendliness will be important. If anyone in your household has asthma or any other allergy, then the flooring alternatives’ hypoallergenic properties will be a top priority. If you are on a budget (and who isn’t?), the price might be the deciding factor. Please look at our list, read the details, and decide what is important to you to see whether bamboo flooring is worth the upgrade.

bamboo flooring vs carpet
HARDNESS (Resistance to Denting)
Bamboo flooring

As we have frequently pointed out in this blog, the hardness of bamboo floors is legendary. With a Janka Hardness rating of over 4000, strand woven bamboo is two to three times harder than most hardwoods. Thus it is highly resistant to denting, so you can put heavy furniture on bamboo flooring without causing any damage. Knowing you have a floor that is as tough as bamboo takes away that worry. Of course, you shouldn’t throw all caution to the wind. For instance, if you plan to place a grand piano on your floor, we recommend using felt pads. But as there is no wooden floor as hard as bamboo, we give it maximum marks of 10 out of 10.

Carpet

One of the less desirable carpet features is its susceptibility to denting; heavy furniture or dining chairs will inevitably create dents. If you like to change your interior design occasionally, then those unsightly dents left by your sofa will stand out and compromise your style. Dents are the result of pile compression, a subject that is still being investigated by scientists. Many factors are involved, but not all carpet dents are irreversible. Often, they will recover at least partially over time. There are also many ways of improving them; some recommend ice cubes, while others recommend using a steam iron, as in our video below. But that’s a lot of effort, and the dents rarely disappear completely. We can only award carpet two out of 10, and that’s being generous.

ECO-FRIENDLESS / DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is known to be the eco-friendliest of all types of flooring. Because it’s grass, there is no reason to dig up the roots and disturb the environment. Also, because it matures in just five years, you can return and harvest it again five years later. No pesticides or fertilizers are needed; it is an entirely natural growth process. It thoroughly deserves an eco-friendliness rating of 10 out of 10.

Carpet

Carpeting generally hurts the environment, especially when you consider that in the US, people purchase over a billion square yards of it every year – more than enough to carpet New York. At the end of its life, it usually ends up in landfills where we can’t recycle it. Although more eco-friendly carpet options are available, over 90% are made of plastic derived from oil. Alternatives, such as pure wool, are costly. As one of the least eco-friendly flooring options, we give it a rating of just 2 out of 10.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY, OFF-GASSING, & FORMALDEHYDE EMISSIONS

Indoor air quality has a big impact on people’s health. Often, there are five to 10 times more pollutants inside homes than in the external environment. One of the major pollutants is volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, emitted by the materials we have in our homes. Some of these, including formaldehyde, are thought to be carcinogenic.

Bamboo flooring

Bamboo floors are one of the best floors you can get for indoor air quality. The only exception is engineered bamboo, where small amounts of UF adhesives are used during manufacturing. Overall, we rate bamboo indoor air quality 9 out of 10.

Carpet

Carpet is a notorious emitter of VOCs. These chemicals are emitted from the carpet, adhesives, and the carpet underlay. Typical health problems associated with new carpet installations are:

  • Fatigue
  • Coughing and shortness of breath
  • Headaches
  • Skin irritation
  • Throat, eye, and nose problems

But even old carpets continue to produce lower levels of VOCs. These lurk in deep dust, which eventually rises to become surface dust. Children who play and crawl on the floor could be at risk. The upside is that formaldehyde is no longer used in manufacturing carpet, but even at best, carpet is rated 2 out of 10. Incidentally, carpet is also bad news for people with allergies, as it tends to harbor mites, dust, and other microscopic irritants.

COMFORT FOR WALKING / WARM UNDERFOOT
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is warm to the touch. Just like hardwood, it is a great thermal insulator, so it will always feel cozy, even when you first get up in the morning. Bamboo flooring feels so nice to walk on, so we award it 9 out of 10.

Carpet

Regarding comfort for walking, not all carpets are the same. To get the best from a comfortable carpet, you also need a comfortable underlay, which also significantly increases the cost. However, there is no getting away from it; carpet is even more comfortable for walking, and it’s warmer underfoot than bamboo. Hence, it scores top marks of 10 out of 10.

WATER RESISTANCE
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is more water-resistant than hardwood flooring, though it would be wrong to call it waterproof. If you mop up any spills within 20 hours, there shouldn’t be a problem. But if you leave pools of water for much longer than that, some staining and swelling are likely to result. Thus, we advise you not to install bamboo floors in bathrooms or other places where it might be in frequent contact with water. Thus we give it a water-resistance score of 8 out of 10.

Carpet

If you have ever smelled a wet carpet, you will agree that it smells very much like a wet dog – not very pleasant. The problem is that even after the carpet dries, the odor tends to persist. Often, water passes through the carpet and is absorbed by the underlay; Since underlay is difficult to remove, it can result in unhealthy molds and mildew. Although there are treatments available for dealing with the smell, they are often only partially effective and can worsen. In a nutshell, water and carpets don’t go well together. We give it a water resistance rating of just 2 out of 10.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

Regarding price, there is very little difference between bamboo and carpet. There are some costly carpet options, but for the kind of carpeting most of us would install in our homes, the price is a little less than bamboo. But given that bamboo, at $4 to $7 a square foot, costs much less than hardwood, both carpet and bamboo are affordable. Carpet marginally has the edge; we will score bamboo 9 out of 10 and carpet 10 out of 10.

ORGANIC, NATURAL MATERIALS VS SYNTHETIC
Bamboo flooring

As we have indicated already, bamboo is a natural and sustainable material. You can’t get more natural than bamboo, so we give it 10 out of 10.

Carpet

Some carpet is natural and uses natural fibers such as seagrass, sisal, coir, and wool, but 90% of carpet is anything but natural. That is unless you include oil in your list of natural ingredients. All the carpet we use is made from oil-derived plastics such as nylon, polypropylene, and polyester. Recently-introduced carpets are made from recycled plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the jury is still out on whether PET carpet fibers are safe. They may not be. Overall, the carpet has a natural material rating of 2 out of 10.

Bamboo is 100% natural
Bamboo is 100% natural
NATURAL VARIATION IN THE GRAIN – LOOK AND FEEL
Bamboo flooring

Like hardwood flooring, bamboo has an individual grain pattern where every plank is unique, each with its distinctive grain pattern, color, and tone. These features can be used with excellent effect when installing a bamboo floor over a large area. By working from several boxes of planks simultaneously, you can achieve a gorgeous natural variation across the complete area. It richly deserves a natural rating of 10 out of 10.

Carpet

There is nothing natural about the appearance of the carpet. You can certainly get some exciting textures, colors, and patterns, but if your style is natural, then avoid carpet. We give it a natural rating of 2 out of 10.

EASE OF INSTALLATION
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is easy to install; t can be nailed down, glued down, and floated. Anyone with average DIY skills should be able to do a great job, but, of course, you need to make sure you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. We recommend you read ours. Installation does require some care, so we rate it at 8 out of 10.

Carpet

Carpet is even easier to install than bamboo. You will need some special tools to install wall-to-wall carpet, but the installation process is straightforward once you have them. If you are carpeting a large area, you will need two people; carpets can be heavy to handle. But really, it isn’t too difficult; we give it an ‘ease of installation’ rating of 10 out of 10.

EASE OF MAINTENANCE
Bamboo flooring

Maintaining a bamboo floor is easy. Vacuum it regularly to keep hairs, dirt, and dust off the surface and soak up any spills as soon as you see them. You can clean the floor using most bamboo or hardwood floor cleaners; avoid wet mopping or steam mopping. For ease of maintenance, we award it 8 out of 10.

Carpet

The carpet needs regular vacuuming to remove dry debris. However, typically around 15% of debris is oily. This oily deposit accumulates over time and will eventually harden and become difficult to remove. In heavily trafficked areas, this can change the color and texture of the carpet. To remove this, you need to steam clean the carpet or use a hot water extraction system with a specialist cleaner regularly. Spills can stain carpets, so you should treat all spills immediately. If there is a stain, some stain removers are effective, but you need to ensure they don’t discolor the carpet. Overall, the carpet scores 5 out of 10 for maintenance.

THE FINAL ANALYSIS

If you have been totaling up the scores, then you’ll know the results already. Here are our scores:

Bamboo: 91 points

Carpet: 45 points

Bamboo Flooring VS Wood-Look Ceramic Tile

Over recent years, wood-look tiled floors have become a fashion trend as they emulate real wood while being easier to maintain. But are they the right choice for you? Are their supposed benefits so good? If it is the appearance of wood or natural variation you seek, why not go for the real thing?

This kind of choice often has us running round in circles trying to make up our minds, so we will make your life easier by providing a side-by-side comparison between bamboo flooring and wood-look tile.

bamboo flooring vs wood look ceramic tile
HARDNESS (Resistance to Denting)
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is one of the hardest wood floors out there, and as such, it is highly resistant to denting. It can resist heavy furniture without denting and stand up to active pets and rambunctious children. The hardest bamboo option is strand woven bamboo, which is 2-3 times as hard as oak as measured on the Janka Hardness Scale. We have no hesitation in giving it 10 out of 10 for resistance to denting.

Wood-Look Tile

Being a ceramic material, wood-look tile is also tough and highly resistant to denting. It is difficult to compare the hardness of bamboo and wood-look tile directly as they are measured using different methods. As we have said, we measure the hardness of bamboo and other hardwoods on the Janka Hardness Scale while we measure the hardness of ceramic tiles on the PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute Abrasion Scale). Quality wood-look tile should have a PEI rating of 3 to 5; anything less would be susceptible to damage. As with bamboo, we award wood-look tile 10 out of 10 for resistance to denting.

ECO-FRIENDLESS / DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Bamboo flooring

One of the reasons for the increasing popularity of bamboo flooring is its environmental friendliness. Although a bamboo plant might look like a tree, it is indeed grass. Just as you can cut grass and it will regrow, you can cut bamboo, and it will also continue to grow. That’s why you can harvest a bamboo plantation, then leave it for a few years, typically five, and harvest it again without uprooting any plants. Doing this doesn’t damage the environment in any way or harm plants and animals. Growing bamboo is also a great way to remove carbon dioxide from the environment and counteract global warming. We score it 10 out of 10 for eco-friendliness.

Wood-Look Tile

Wood-look tile is also an eco-friendly material. Derived directly from the earth, it is a natural material. The only real downside is the amount of energy required to fire it in the kiln. Providing that energy from fossil fuels is certainly not good for the environment. However, many modern processes recycle that heat by using it in other industrial and agricultural processes. Thus, we score it 9 out of 10 for eco-friendliness.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY, OFF-GASSING, & FORMALDEHYDE EMISSIONS
Bamboo flooring

Maintaining good quality air in our homes is a vital aspect of maintaining good health. Unfortunately, many of the materials we use in our homes emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause us both acute and long-term health problems. Clearly, when we can do so, it makes sense to opt for materials that don’t degrade our home environment. Bamboo floors are almost entirely free from VOCs. The only possible contaminant is the small amount of UF adhesive used in the manufacturing process of engineered bamboo flooring. However, it is a minimal amount, and these floors are still very safe. For indoor air quality, bamboo receives 9 out of 10.

Wood-Look Tile

Like bamboo flooring, wood-look tile doesn’t emit VOCs, although the adhesives used to fix it to the floor can be a source of indoor pollution. However, overall, it is just about equivalent to bamboo flooring, so it also gains a score of 9 out of 10.

COMFORT FOR WALKING / WARM UNDERFOOT
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring feels nice and cozy underfoot, and that makes sense. It provides excellent thermal insulation, so it never feels cold to the touch. It is so nice to feel a bamboo floor underneath your feet, even on a cold day. Not only does it feel cozy, but it also looks cozy too, providing a warm inner glow. It gets a well-deserved 9 out of 10.

Wood-Look Tile

Being ceramic, wood-look tiles have high thermal conductivity, the opposite of bamboo. They feel cold to the touch because they drain heat from your body, making you feel cold. Even when a wood-look tile floor is at the same temperature as a bamboo floor, the wood-look tile floor will feel very colder. This might be a difficult concept to understand, so check out our video below to describe the effect better. The bottom line is that wood-look tiles feel cold – not much fun first thing in the morning. In fact, they feel positively chilly. They score just 3 out of 10 for underfoot warmth.

WATER RESISTANCE
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring has better water resistance than hardwood and is much less likely to be damaged by spills. But it’s essential to dry up any spills when you discover them, and certainly not leave them there for over a day. Leaving a spill for that length of time will likely result in swelling and leaving a stain. While this bodes against installing bamboo flooring in areas such as bathrooms where the floor is expected to get wet frequently, it is sufficiently water-resistant for most purposes, so it scores 8 out of 10.

Wood-Look Tile

Wood-look tiles are highly water-resistant; they are one of the most water-resistant flooring materials available. You can safely install them in bathrooms, kitchens, and even outdoors and around pools. They deservedly score 10 out of 10 for water resistance.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

Square yard by square yard, bamboo flooring, and wood-look tiles are similarly priced. Expect to pay between $4 and $7 a square foot. This price is significantly less than that for hardwood tiles. Regarding availability, both options are readily available for fast delivery — both score 9 out of 10.

ORGANIC, NATURAL MATERIALS VS SYNTHETIC
Bamboo flooring

As we’ve already noted, bamboo is a grass and is an entirely organic and natural material. Granted, some unnatural products are used in the production process, but the bamboo planks you nail or glue to your floor are 100 percent natural. It scores 10 out of 10 for naturalness.

Wood-Look Tile

The raw materials used to manufacture wood-look tiles include clays, refined minerals, and chemical additives. These clays and other minerals are combined and pulverized using a variety of mills and other machines. The crushed materials are separated into various particle sizes, and glass materials are added to provide water resistance and decorative features. Next, the tiles are formed using dry pressing at pressures up to 2,500 tons or using extrusion and punching. They are then carefully dried using heaters or microwaves, and the surface is sprayed or printed with various glazes. Finally, the tiles are fired in a kiln. Typically, the firing temperature is around 2,100 to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, and the process can take several days. While tiles do use natural clays, they are an entirely synthetic product. On a scale of one to 10, wood-look tiles score just a single point for organic naturalness.

NATURAL VARIATION IN THE GRAIN – LOOK AND FEEL
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring has a beautiful, natural variation in the grain pattern, which creates a stunning effect, especially over large areas. In fact, this natural variation is one of the main reasons people choose bamboo. Every board is unique, and no two bamboo floors are the same. Your bamboo floor will be individual to you. It achieves 10 out of 10.

Carbonized Antiqued Bamboo Flooring
Carbonized Antiqued Bamboo
Wood-Look Tile

While the finish provided by wood-look tiles is undoubtedly attractive, there are finishes available that emulate just about any wood. They do it well too, and at first glance, you can easily mistake them for a genuine article. However, once you look more closely, you will soon make out the repeating patterns that betray the fact that they are synthetic. They don’t look as good as real bamboo, but they do gain 6 out of 10 for their look and feel.

EASE OF INSTALLATION
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo flooring is hardwood flooring, so it’s installed just like traditional hardwoods. While it isn’t 100% child’s play, if you are reasonably dexterous and want to install it yourself, you shouldn’t encounter too many problems. Of course, you can always hire a handyman, carpenter, or professional floor installer for a reasonable price. There are three different ways that hardwood and bamboo floors are installed:

  • Nail down
  • Glue down
  • Floating

For more information on this, please follow the links to our installation guides. And if you don’t want to do it yourself, there is no shortage of professional installers you can call on. For ease of installation, we report an 8 out of 10.

Wood-Look Tile

Installing a wood look tile floor can be quite tricky for anyone without any previous experience in laying floor tiles, so unless you are an experienced DIY enthusiast, it may be a job better left to the professionals. However, if you wish to do it yourself, the necessary steps include: 1) Ensure you have a solid underfloor 2) Lay down a substrate such as an uncoupling membrane using thin-set mortar 3) Allow the thin-set to cure fully 4) Lay down the tiles using another layer of thin-set mortar and allow to cure 5) Grout the gaps between the tiles 6) Seal the grouting to avoid future stains Somewhat more difficult than bamboo, it receives 6 out of 10 for ease of installation.

EASE OF MAINTENANCE
Bamboo flooring

Bamboo floors are easy to maintain – exactly like most hardwood floors. It would help if you cleaned them regularly to avoid the build-up of grit and other debris that could scratch the surface. We recommend weekly sweeping or vacuuming followed by mopping with a lightly damp mop. Avoid excess water, and do not steam mop or wet mop hardwood or bamboo! It would help if you wiped up any spills when they occur using an absorbent cloth. Really, this is a simple, common-sense, uncomplicated cleaning regimen. We give it 8 out of 10 for ease of maintenance.

Wood-Look Tile

Wood-look tile floors are easy to maintain, even easier than bamboo. They need regular vacuuming or sweeping, possibly with a rubber broom if you have pets. Mopping them every week will keep them looking good. We suggest you use a neutral cleaner and avoid bleaches or anything abrasive. Since it is slightly easier to maintain than bamboo, it receives 9 out of 10.

THE FINAL ANALYSIS

As you have seen, there are pros and cons for both types of floors. However, bamboo flooring has the edge, with the final scores being:

Bamboo: 91 points

Wood Look Tile: 72 points

bamboo

What's So Unique About Bamboo?

  • Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth.
  • The plant out-yields Pine 6-to-1 in biomass production.
  • Bamboo produces 35% more oxygen from carbon dioxide than trees.
  • It has a distinctive and unique grain pattern unlike any other natural material.
  • Strand woven bamboo is about 2-3 times harder than most hardwoods.
  • Bamboo is extremely versatile and is used in food, clothing, flooring, etc.
  • The plant regrows naturally after being harvested.
  • Bamboo is a grass (Poaceae) and consists of over 1,400 different species.

Why Homeowners Love Ambient Bamboo Floors

Our bamboo flooring comes in over 30 colors and styles that are sure to bring warmth and beauty to any room.

hammer
DURABLE

With outstanding strength and durability, our floors are great for homes with pets, children, and high traffic areas.

renewable energy
Eco-friendly

Our bamboo flooring comes from plants that are harvested every 5 years, versus 40-80 years for hardwoods.

affordable
Affordable

You can get premium wide plank bamboo for less than the cost of hardwoods without sacrificing beauty.

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