Bamboo Floors: Installation and Cleaning Services Orinda CA

Bamboo is holding strong as the poster child for sustainability, but not all bamboo is created equal. There are still questions, concerns, and considerations from “I hear they scratch easily” to “What are my color options?” to “Should I get the cheap stuff or pay a little extra for the goods?” Like any flooring decisions, it depends on the usage.  If you’re putting it in the kids’ playroom or laundry room/dog pen, it’s going to get beat up (like anything else).  If you’re putting it in the dining room, make sure you love the aesthetic above all else. This might seem like common sense, because it is. So, where do I go from here?

Here’s what you need to know for making a decision about bamboo flooring:

You get what you pay for

If you’re going to put bamboo in a kitchen, den, or other area that gets a lot of foot traffic, variety of use, and so on, use the good stuff - Strand Woven Bamboo is the most durable. How do we know? There’s actually an industry-accepted rating system called The Janka Ball test which measures the force required to embed a 0.444″ steel ball to half its diameter in wood. Accepted industry wide, this test reflects a particular species’ ability to withstand denting and wear.

What makes one bamboo variety better than another?

Age. The best, highly rated bamboos are usually aged 5.5 - 6 years. The technical crowd will go on and on here but for all practical purposes, that’s what you’re paying for: longer growth means a more mature, harder, more durable raw material. And yes, technically, bamboo isn’t a “hardwood” at all; bamboo is more like a plant (grows like a weed, which is why it’s considered more sustainable than woods that have longer growth cycles).

Installation

As always, if you can afford it and you’re a true Lazy E, you’ll just let the pros handle it. But if you’re feeling lucky (or something like that), you can take the DIY approach. Bamboo laminate flooring rests on top of an installation surface, like tile. You put that stuff down, then you snap in and/or nail down the bamboo. If you’re going DIY, definitely get the slotted, tongue and groove variety — you can thank us later.

Additional concerns

Besides the quality of the raw bamboo itself, pay attention to what adhesives are used to bond the board into shape. If you’re particularly concerned with indoor air quality, you’ll want to pay extra attention to be certain that you’re not getting a chemical, toxin, or VOC-rich adhesive.

Dark bamboo finishes are made by (basically) cooking the bamboo to color, so all other things being equal, the darker colors are less durable.

If you leave in an area with humidity issues or there is a particularl...