The Pros and Cons of Bamboo Floors

Bamboo floors are gaining popularity for homeowners because it's a perfect stylish design to beautify your home interior. Mostly produced in China and other parts of Asia, bamboo flooring is commonly known as "Moso." It is trendy, attractive and can be eco-friendly. Many people install bamboo flooring as a way to "go green." Is this type of flooring really "green," though? Here, the pros and cons of bamboo flooring are examined.

The Advantages of Bamboo Flooring

To many people, the benefits of bamboo flooring are obvious. It is stylish and can easily enhance one's home décor. It is strong and durable, not showing the signs of wear and tear that hardwood floors can get. It lasts a long time, and some manufacturers will even offer a 25-year warranty with the purchase. For budget-conscious buyers, bamboo flooring has the appearance of hardwood but with less cost, which is often 20%–50% less than hardwood flooring.

From an environmental standpoint, this type of flooring can be eco-responsible. Because the harvesting of bamboo leaves its root system intact, there is no need to replant bamboo. Bamboo has few pests, so pesticides and irrigation are not necessary. Growing bamboo is much quicker than growing hardwood because bamboo is a grass. So, it grows in 3 to 5 years, whereas it takes 20–120 years for hardwood to mature. The processes for growing and harvesting bamboo can also leave a very low carbon footprint. In addition, there is a number of bamboo flooring options that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

The Disadvantages of Bamboo Flooring

Unfortunately, there are also a number of downsides of bamboo flooring that one should consider. The production of bamboo flooring can expend large amounts of energy. Also, the glues used for bonding the bamboo strips often contain urea formaldehyde, which becomes a gas at room temperature. This toxic byproduct should be avoided. There are also shipping costs to take into account.

The bamboo that is grown for flooring can have negative impacts on the environment. The transportation of the materials uses a lot of boat and truck fuel, often resulting in a 500-mile trip for each load. The creation of bamboo forests can result in clear-cutting, which increases erosion until the bamboo has matured. This deforestation can also cause nearby wildlife species to lose their habitats. In addition, since most overseas factories and farms do not have guidelines, the labor practices are questionable. Additionally, there are no U.S. laws for where bamboo originates. In China, where the majority of bamboo originates, there are no government standards for the production of bamboo flooring.

How Can One Avoid the Negative Impacts of Bamboo Flooring?

It is impossible to control all of the adverse effects of producing or installing this type of flooring. However, one can take immediate measures to buy bamboo flooring that has eco-conscious qualities. For example, the FSC has a database of environmentally-responsible manufacturers, so that may be a good place to start. This database will also reveal which manufacturers practice fair trade. Research on flooring distributors will show which ones donate money to carbon offsetting companies to counteract the expenses of energy. A good-quality dealer will disclose whether or not the bamboo comes from a plantation, which has strict guidelines for harvesting. Also, a good number of flooring distributors in the U.S. have stricter codes, such as formaldehyde-free processing and water-based finishing.

It is worth the extra $0.50–$1.00 per square foot to refrain from purchasing cheap bamboo. It will still be more inexpensive than hardwood flooring. Cheaper bamboo doesn't last as long, and it likely does not come from a quality distributor. The most noticeable quality of cheap bamboo is that it is multicolored. To avoid flooring that is filled with aluminum oxide, avoid shiny boards. For people that want bamboo flooring but also want to minimize their burden on the environment, diligent research can result in good-quality, eco-responsible flooring that will last a long time.