Why I prefer hardwood and bamboo floors over other types

When considering installing flooring in a home or office a decision can be difficult to make with the wide selections of flooring to choose from. This is an article of why I prefer hardwood and bamboo floors over other types.

The good, the bad, the tested.

Every type of flooring has its good and bad points and if you have done your research regarding bamboo flooring you will have found as many happy home owners as you have found disgruntled ones in forums on the web.

Many of the complaints against hardwood bamboo flooring need to be considered case-by-case as some people unknowingly purchased sub-par flooring at a very low price. Extreme low prices should raise a flag regarding the quality of the flooring, and as the age old saying goes. "You get what you pay for."

In comparing the floor comments on the forums. Many of them were happy with the many years of good use they got out of them. Like many products some manufactures misleadingly market their bamboo wood to be as hard as oak and charge a high price, while recognized brands do really offer hardwood bamboo that is as strong as oak. After all is said and done, the answer is to buy recognized brands of hardwood bamboo flooring and not just buy the cheapest price.

After reading all the happy home owners comments on forums I noticed that many of them had obtained bamboo flooring samples and put them through their own tests before ordering. It is important to feel confident about your flooring before you install it so get some test samples of some hardwood and bamboo flooring your interested in and find yourself a hammer and begin testing. Not only pounding them with a hammer but also get a pair of high heel shoes and see which ones hold up the best.

Bamboo flooring is more prone to scratching than traditional hardwood flooring like oak so put your samples under a chair leg and try scratching them with various objects. Don't worry about finding samples, retailers will charge you a reasonable fee of $10 or $15 to ship samples to you. If a retailer is reluctant to send samples even if you offer to pay extra for them then be wary of their products.

Pre-finished or unfinished?

When ordering bamboo hardwood flooring you will have to know what type to ask for. Pre-finished is ready to install bamboo flooring and some home owners want to install the flooring themselves or hire the labor to save money on the installation. Whereas unfinished will need to be installed professionally and treated with a finish for protection against moisture and scratches.

With all due respect I have to recommend you go with the pre-finished bamboo flooring unless you are or know someone who is experienced in installing and treating hardwood bamboo flooring. This is decision that will definitely save you headaches. Last thing to mention is that there are two kinds of bamboo flooring, the residential grade and the commercial grade. Make sure your installer has experience with the commercial grade because its 'harder' to install than the residential grade.