Bamboo Floors
Bamboo is one of nature's most extraordinary products. The earliest use of bamboo has a history as far as 5000 years ago. In ancient China bamboo was used for so many purposes such as paper, books, arrows, palace buildings, furniture and other items.
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Even thought it has been around for thousands of years, it’s recognition as a flooring material is quite recent. At first, the marketing world was skeptical about the usage of bamboo as a flooring material, questioning the durability of the product considering the fact that bamboo is actually grass not wood. But soon enough this new product gained it’s trust with it’s sturdiness; resistance to insects and humidity and not to mention endless design variations.
Structure:
As mentioned above, bamboo is technically a grass not a wood product, even though it is categorized with the wood flooring material. Not only it's highly versatile but it also grows in almost any kind of conditions, unlike other types of wood. Bamboo grows in Asia, Africa and Latin America: it is found throughout the world in tropical and sub-tropical climates. However, China is considered to be the most popular habitat of this product and provides the largest source of bamboo in the world. Growing this plant requires minimal labor effort as it is known to be the strongest and the fastest growing plant on earth. The most common species of bamboo used for flooring products are Mao or Moso bamboo. Depending on the climate and the species, bamboo culms reach their maturity for the harvest at about 3 years of growth, and is suitable enough for the use in construction. Bamboo stems are then cut and sliced into strips. Then these strips are boiled to remove the starch. Afterwards they are dried, laminated, treated with preservative and milled into flooring boards. To strengthen bamboo's resistance to water, mildew, and insects it is covered with a low-toxic acrylic urethane featuring UV inhibitors.
Environmentally Friendly:
The most admirable aspect of bamboo flooring is that it provides the natural beauty as floor covering without the need to damage the environment, eliminating that guilty feeling that our home improvements are affecting the nature in any way, as bamboo is one of the most ecological products to be used for floors. Bamboo plants are able to rapidly regenerate. In its lifetime a single bamboo clump can produce up to 15 kilometers of usable pole. And keep in mind, that all parts of each bamboo plant is used for different kinds of purpose such as: construction, musical instruments, food, furniture, and medical care. Today’s medical research studies recommend bamboo treatment for several diseases. For instance: the sap from the bamboo plant is known to reduce fever, leaves and roots treat venereal diseases and cancer, and many other ingredients found in this plant help with the respiratory and kidney diseases.
Benefits:
Durability: Perfect for households with high traffics, kids and pets. Interestedly enough that bamboo flooring products are on the average 13 percent harder than maple, and surpasses red oak by 27 percent.
Resistance: Ideal for all geographical areas as it is known for being resistant to humidity changes.
Easy Installation: A perfect project for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. Before installing bamboo flooring allow it to acclimate for several days by bringing the product indoors.
Easy Maintenance: Bamboo flooring doesn't trap dirt and can be cleaned up with a mop or sponge
Practicality: Eco-friendly, lasting, cheaper than other types of woods, elegant and exotic - bamboo floors are the perfect option for a household which requires functionality and style at the same time.