Walk all over it....

When recently refurbishing our new home, I was faced with the big questions of Flooring... carpets, laminate, hardwood and more. Once deciding on wooden flooring, the decision became a little trickier.Hardwoods offered a huge variety in grains, colours, textures and even bamboo featured in the category, offering even more varying characteristics.

At first glance bamboo and hardwood flooring materials may appear to be the same thing. They have a similar look, feel, and share many characteristics between them. However Bamboo is a type of grass, whereas hardwood is harvested from lumber and trees. Because of this there are some very specific differences that set these floors apart from each other.

Hardness Ratio Of Bamboo and Wood

Bamboo: In it’s natural untreated state bamboo is relatively hard compared to most wood flooring choices. However, darker materials will tend to lose some of this durability. That is because the darkness is attained through a process known as carbonization This is achieved by placing the bamboo under extreme heat and pressure, which causes the hue to shade, but also somewhat weakens the material.

To put it in practical terms, carbonised bamboo will have a hardness rating somewhere from 1000-1100, whereas bamboo in it’s natural state will have a hardness of 1300-1400. This will be affected to some extent by the process used to make the material, and the amount of carbonisation applied to it. Darker bamboo is almost always softer.

Hardwood: There are dozens of different species of both hard and soft woods that can be used as flooring materials. On the low end you will have woods such as pine and Fir, that have hardness ratings of 600-900, while on the upper end you have materials such as Walnut and Teak which can get as high as 2500-3500 on the relative hardness rating.

You might be wondering what difference it makes if your floor is somewhat hard versus extremely hard – and basically the difference is Wear and Tear. The softer floors tend to mark, scratch and dent easier whereas harder floors might possibly withstand stilettos and few dropped forks without too much harm.

Appearance Differences

Hardwood: Once again, you have numerous species to choose from when selecting hardwood flooring, and each will have its own unique look, feel, and patterns. This is compounded by the fact that different cuts will also produce different levels of grain consistency.

You can pick through a variety of species and options, and find something that will perfectly match the style of your environment.

Bamboo: While there are various species of bamboo, they all generally produce a consistent looking end product. This is similar in appearance to hardwood, while also being distinct, in that it features very apparent horizontal lines running through it’s surface. The colour of bamboo is also a unique, soft golden colour, however that can be tempered to a darker tone by the carbonization process.

When it comes to the White and Grey hues, you’ll generally only find these amoungst the hardwood ranges.

Environmental Impact of a Bamboo Floor

Bamboo is one of the most highly renewable natural resources available. Unlike trees which take upwards of 20 years to reach maturity, Bamboo can be fully ripe and ready for harvest in 3-5. It is also recyclable, and bio degradable. That means that as a material it has a very low impact on the environment.

With both types of flooring as with all of the consumable goods we use these days, you also have to consider the impact of CO2 gasses released in transporting bamboo from where it grows, in Southeast Asia, to the rest of the world.

Bamboo for other areas in the home

Because of it’s environmentally sustainable claim, bamboo is becoming ever more popular, not only for flooring but for textiles, clothing, home goods such as chopping boards, bicycles… the list is endless. For textiles, I recommend taking a look at www.100bamboo.com that offer bamboo linens, towels, blankets and more. This should keep you well on track to becoming a environmentally responsible shopper.