Types of Bamboo Flooring
Exploring the diversity of bamboo flooring, it’s essential to understand the three primary types available, each offering unique characteristics and benefits:
- Horizontal Bamboo Flooring: Crafted by binding ¼-by-¾-inch bamboo strips side by side, this type showcases the bamboo’s natural “knuckles” or nodes, providing a classic bamboo aesthetic. It’s known for preserving the bamboo’s natural look, including its nodes, and is available in natural colors as well as darker shades through carbonization, though this process may weaken the structure.
- Vertical Bamboo Flooring: This variety features bamboo strips glued vertically, resulting in a more uniform appearance with less visible nodes. It offers a minimalist look and comes in lighter colors, suitable for brightening up spaces. However, similar to horizontal bamboo flooring, its structure can be compromised if darker colors are achieved through carbonization.
- Strand-Woven Bamboo Flooring: Recognized for its remarkable durability, strand-woven bamboo is produced by shredding bamboo fibers, mixing them with an adhesive, and compressing under high heat.It not only utilizes the remnants of bamboo from other manufacturing processes, making it an eco-friendly option, but it also boasts a wide range of color options, some of which do not resemble traditional bamboo. Despite its strengths, potential buyers should be cautious of formaldehyde content in the adhesive used.