Home Improvement

Types of Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring can be found in different types, styles and colors deriving their distinctions from their grain, color and finishing. With respect to the grain, we have horizontal grain which is achieved when the bamboo stalk is laid flat and cut into strips showing the nodes. The canes are first cut into narrow strips and hard pressed together vertically to create the vertical grain thus no nodes. Strand grain comprise of strips of compressed bamboo under extreme heat and pressure with adhesives.

According to color, the flooring can be described as blonde which is the natural bamboo flooring color of bamboo or carbonized, usually brown to dark brown, achieved by heating the canes in a kiln to caramelizing the natural sugars in the plant.

One type when considering the finishing is solid bamboo flooring which comprise of the whole bamboo. It’s divided into even parts and then milled and pressed into planks. Another type is the Engineered bamboo flooring which has a 1/8″ thick “wear-level” or top layer that is solid. The core consist of compressed layers of other types of wood or fiberboard. Distressed bamboo flooring has a ruffled or wavy effect across the planks to creating a more antique look and core is solid bamboo.