Bamboo flooring - the modern hardwood floor choice

It's sustainable, tough, good looking and affordable. Bamboo flooring may be a relative Johnny-come-lately to the flooring market, but with so much going for it, it's certainly made an impressive entrance.

Bamboo flooring has great environmental cred as an unsurpassed renewable resource in the hardwood market, but it is also fast becoming the floor of choice for architects and designers for its unique textures and colours.

Bamboo Flooring Varieties

As with most products, there are variations in bamboo flooring and, according to Mitch Manning of Style, you have to be aware of these so you can make the right choice. "There are vertical and horizontal boards which are actually laminated boards of bamboo glued together in layers. These products give a traditional bamboo feel, but are quite weak in construction.

"I'd endorse a strand-woven bamboo flooring product, as it's stronger, more durable and aesthetically pleasing."

Style manufactures strand-woven floorboards from moso bamboo grown in China. According to Mitch, this is one of the strongest species of bamboo available. "Using moso ensures the boards are unbelievably strong, much more so than other popular hardwoods such as jarrah, spotted gum or the laminate bamboo boards. It's also fire and termite resistant.

"We use a patented strand-woven process whereby we strip the outer layer from the bamboo pole; some of these strips are put through a carbonisation process and are then dipped into a specially formulated adhesive system. Strips are then compressed under very high pressure and eventually manufactured into pre-finished boards. These can be installed into the home without any additional sanding or coating," Mitch says.

Bamboo Flooring Colours

Strand-woven bamboo boards come in three natural colours, ranging from a light natural tone through suede to coffee. The carbonisation process determines the colour – the longer the wood is heated and steamed, the darker it becomes.

Laying Bamboo Flooring

When laying bamboo flooring, you have a choice of either more traditional tongue-and-groove boards, or floating floors. "The tongue-and-groove boards are a cheaper product, but they're more expensive to install. A floating floor is better for fast, easy installation, as no glue or nails are required. It's really just a matter of the buyer deciding what best suits their needs."

But beware: according to Mitch, the biggest downfall with bamboo flooring products at the moment is cheap imitations. "Bamboo is a fantastic product, but I strongly recommend that buyers seek out a reputable retailer to ensure they get a floor they will love for life."