Bamboo Flooring vs. Hardwood Flooring
Bamboo has gained popularity because it is a natural, renewable resource that can be responsibly harvested every three to five years. Bamboo shoots grow quickly and are harvested, not cut down completely, so they’re renewable. Bamboo has been known to be less durable and more susceptible to color change than hardwood. However, some Bamboo flooring compares favorably to the most popular, stable and durable of the hardwood flooring brands and at comparable prices.
Installing Bamboo Floors
Installing bamboo floors is similar to installing hardwood floors and maintaining the sheen of bamboo may require less work than hardwood, with regards to waxing and re-finishing.
Durability of Bamboo Floors vs. Hardwood Floors
Most wood products are compared with oak and maple in terms of stability and durability. Northern red oak is usually the standard against which other hardwood floors are measured for stability. Stability refers to the natural contraction and expansion of a wood in different climates over time. Some measures show Bamboo to be more stable than red oak.
Durability refers to the actual hardness of the wood and susceptibility to dents and scratches. Bamboo is claimed to be as hard as hard maple, which is the standard flooring industry comparator.
Consumer Reports© (November 2008) specifically mentioned Teragren Synergy Wheat because their test results showed it actually beat oak and other hardwoods for toughness and it also resisted color change.
Your Comfort Level
Regardless of the above comments regarding bamboo, what is most important is your comfort level with this type of material and its possible cons compared with hardwood. We encourage you to view other consumers’ opinions regarding their experience with bamboo flooring.
Update
Solid oak is a favorite flooring for style, and vinyl is a reliable choice if you're on a budget. But lower prices and improved performance for bamboo are making it a great option when it comes to toughness.
In Consumer Report's recent test of almost 50 floorings, EcoTimber's Woven Honey bamboo tested better than many hardwoods and demonstrated impressive resistance to wear and dents. EcoTimber Woven Honey bamboo and Armstrong Locking Hardwood Carbonized Natural EL58BCCNLG received the highest overall scores for prefinished solid-wood and engineered-wood flooring, respectively. Reasonably priced at an estimated $5.50 per square foot, it costs more than one-third less than some of its solid-oak competitors.