Bamboo flooring provides another avenue for those looking for something other than hardwood.  Growing in popularity as an alternative, bamboo flooring has many attractive features that make it a viable option for modern homeowners.  Although harvested mostly in China, bamboo flooring is now widely available in North America and Europe.  Many of those that adopted bamboo flooring early on point out its environmental friendliness.  The bamboo plant regrows very quickly when compared with the time it takes a forest to regrow.  In fact, the bamboo plant is considered a grass, as it grows far faster than a forest.  When done responsibly, bamboo plant harvesting can be done without causing any permanent damage.

How does bamboo flooring compare with traditional hardwoods?  High quality bamboo flooring provides a tougher surface than even the rarest and most expensive hardwoods.  Moisture does not affect bamboo in the way that hardwood suffers from water damage.  Where traditional hardwood may cup and crown due to water exposure, bamboo flooring will keep out water without a problem.  Bamboo flooring is processed as a laminate wood floor and treated under very high pressure with a high quality glue.  This makes bamboo flooring very resistant to abrasions and scratches, where less treated hardwood floors may show scratches after a while.  Bamboo flooring has become a great deal more affordable in recent times as well.

Best of all, bamboo flooring can typically be installed at home without any professional assistance.  Like many of the newer hardwoods, bamboo flooring is produced with a tongue and groove construction, making them considerably easier to install.  Before installing a bamboo floor, let the planks sit in their new environment for no less than 72 hours.  Although bamboo flooring does not suffer from water damage like a hardwood floor, they do need some time to adjust to the new environment before installation.

What steps need to be taken in order to provide upkeep for a bamboo floor?  Maintenance requirements are fairly simple for bamboo flooring, as well as any hardwood floor care.  Be sure to clean the floor after installing it, using a mop with only a little bit of water.  Regular dusting and sweeping should be done after installation.  This will prevent a build up of dust that can dull the finish.  A mat used at the entrance way will keep out a great deal of dust and dirt.  Dirt and small rocks will end up damaging the finish, and a mat can do a great deal to prevent this problem.