Bamboo, It's Not Just For Pandas Anymore.

Cute and voracious eaters, a panda will mow through 12-38 kilograms of bamboo every day. There are 42 species of bamboo that make up the diet of Panda bears. 

What does this have to with Green Design? Bamboo products for your home are not going to put pandas out of business. None of these types of tasty bamboo are used in the manufacture of bamboo flooring and panel products.

Moso 9 canesr

Moso 9, or Phyllostachus Edulis, a large timber bamboo, is the material used for making these durable and beautiful products. Great for building material but not tasty to pandas. 


Why should you want bamboo for your project? Bamboo products offer you beauty and versatility in style, incredible durability and long life, and are made from sustainable, renewable bamboo. Harder than maple, easy to care for, you can feel good knowing that you've chosen a product that not only looks good but is high quality and eco-friendly. 

Not all bamboo products are created equal. Look for certifications on products you choose such as FSC-certified, carb compliant (in certain states) and make sure that glues and adhesives used have no-added urea formaldehyde (NAUF). 

Tiger Strandwoven Bamboo

Now let's get to the good stuff. What does bamboo look like? 

Styles of bamboo flooring

Vertical Grain Natural Bamboo

Horizontal Grain, Vertical Grain and Strandwoven are the primary styles for bamboo. Style options include multi-width planks from 3.25" to 7" or wider and lengths from 36" to 72", with flush joints or beveled edges and hand scraped surfaces. Finish is aluminum oxide, the same finish used on conventional wood flooring, or a natural, oil finish. 

Horizontal Grain Natural Bamboo

Colors of bamboo flooring
Bamboo can be natural color or carmelized or a combination of the two. To creat the carmel, or carbonized color, bamboo is heated up until the natural sugars in the material turn carmel color. Natural and carmelized strands can also be woven together to creat the popular Tiger Strandwoven style. The new generation of bamboo flooring has introduced stained and dyed products from modern grays to antiqued, rough hewn port color and more. 

Whatever your style, traditional, contemporary, anything in between, the versatility of bamboo can lend elegance, style and a "green" luster to your design.  

Installation
Bamboo flooring is suitable for installations of all types---on slab, on grade, below grade, over a raised foundation---the key is to select the right profile for your installation. Bamboo can be stapled, glued or floated and comes in solid, engineered, click and drop and lock formats. Be sure to shop with a knowledgeable flooring dealer and/or flooring installer or contractor to make certain you select the right profile for your project. 

Care and Maintainence
Bamboo floors can be cared for just as a wood floor would be. Regular sweeping with a microfiber duster or a canister vacuum with a hard floor attachment and occasional cleaning with a microfiber mop and spray floor cleaner such as Bona is all that is required.