The Facts to Choose the Right Bamboo Flooring 
One of the reasons that people choose bamboo floors over hardwood floors is the sustainability. If you cut a tree down for flooring it will take years for another to grow and replace it. The bamboo plantA�grows so fast that you can replace what was cut down in a matter of months. Bamboo is a type of grass and will grow back naturally, it does not have to be replanted. There are several different types of bamboo flooring, Once you learn about the difference, you can decide which type is best for you. The first choices you need to look at are the material itself. You can choose solid, engineered or strand woven. The solid planks use the whole bamboo plant. The strips of bamboo are basically glued together to form the planks either in the vertical or horizontal directions. Engineered flooring is a surface of bamboo strips backed by another layer of wood. That layer of woodA�is usually plywood, particle board or pine. Strand woven flooring is thin strands of bamboo bound together by using heat and high pressure. It is said to be one ofA�the most durable bambooA�flooring you can buy. The next choice is the color of the bamboo. Natural color bamboo is just that, it is untreated bamboo and is a light blond color. Carbonized bamboo is heat treated to caramelize the sugar in the fibers, which creates a darker color. You can also stain bamboo to match any color you want. Horizontal bamboo flooring shows the knots or knuckles of the bamboo. They are visible randomly on the surface and add to the beauty of the flooring. Vertical flooring is a more uniform look and does not show the knots. the strips are lined up by their edges, during manufacturing, instead of laying them out flat. You can also choose to get finished or unfinished flooring. Finished flooring is ready to install right from the factory. Unfinished flooring needs to be sanded and finished along with the installation. Most of the bamboo used in bamboo flooring comes from China. Yanchi, Morning Star and Wilsonart are some of the major companies for the flooring. When you are deciding on the company to use, remember to research the type of adhesive and finishes being used to determine the volatile organic compound (VOC) levelsA�and how they will affect you.
