Bamboo Flooring The look of wood flooring from a fast growing, renewable plant source  A flooring material which resembles wood but grows like grass? Bamboo flooring is an attractive alternative to wood or laminate flooring. Botanically classified as a grass, bamboo matures into a merchantable size in three to five years compared with 50 to 100 years for most hardwood species. The appearance of bamboo is very similar to wood flooring. It comes in vertical and flat-grain patterns and generally is offered in a light, honey or natural color and a darker, amber "carbonized" color. Bamboo flooring can be nailed or floated and its strength and dimensional stability compare very well with traditional wood flooring.
Bamboo is a fast-growing grass used in building for centuries in the Pacific Rim. Bamboo used for flooring is harvested from bamboo forests mostly in the Hunan province in China. If harvested after three years, the cutting process does not adversely affect the plant. After harvest, the round, hollow bamboo stems are sliced into strips, boiled in water with a preservative, pressed flat, and processed into laminated boards. To achieve the dark amber color, the bamboo is pressure steamed and undergoes carbonization. The adhesive used to laminate the flooring is a urea-formaldehyde resin. Grain patterns include both vertical and flat grain configurations. Bamboo flooring is similar to oak in dent resistance and much more dimensionally stable than most common wood flooring species. Common thicknesses for bamboo flooring products are ½, 5/8, and ¾ inches. Widths range from 3 to 4 inches and lengths range from 2 to 6 feet. Bamboo flooring can be dyed and stained on site if the natural or carbonized color options are not desired. Bamboo flooring comes unfinished or prefinished (usually with an ultraviolet light-cured finish). Profile options include strip, panel, and tongue-and-groove. 
 | Bamboo flooring has the classic good looks of hardwood flooring but the plant grows at a very fast rate. Because of this rapid growth, it is a more easily renewable resource than hardwood. However, the urea formaldehyde resins used to laminate the flooring off-gasses formaldehyde when exposed to heat and humidity, although not to the extent of particleboard. |  | It's dent resistance makes bamboo durable for foot traffic. |
Currently, all bamboo flooring is imported into the U.S. from the Pacific Rim. Environmental regulations and worker-safety issues related to bamboo harvest and manufacture is primarily controlled by China and Vietnam. Additionally, the urea formaldehyde resins used to laminate the flooring off-gasses formaldehyde when exposed to heat and humidity, although not to the extent of particleboard. Some installers report problems using floor nailers, thus requiring the use of pneumatic nail guns. Bamboo flooring is readily available and can be delivered to the site within a few days.
The cost for prefinished bamboo flooring typically ranges from $4 to $8 per square foot plus installation.
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The installation of bamboo flooring is very similar to wood flooring. It can be nailed using a nail gun, glued to subflooring, or floated, installed over plywood, OSB, particleboard, or over a properly-installed radiant floor heating system. Bamboo flooring is manufactured at 6 to 9 percent moisture content so moisture equilibration is typically not required. Some installers report problems using floor nailers, thus requiring the use of pneumatic nail guns.
Warranties vary by manufacturer. Typical warranties on finish are 5 to 25 years; 25 years for structural warranties.
Besides the environmental benefits of this sustainable, fast-growing resource, bamboo makes an attractive, stable, dent-resistant alternative to wood flooring. | 
