Need advice on bamboo floors

Dumac · ‎09-30-2010

We are building a new house and one of my upcoming decisions is on flooring. I want the whole house, except the bathrooms, to be done in the same flooring. I'm in love with the look of strand bamboo but everything I read is that it scratches easily. Has anyone had a bamboo floor over one year and what was your experience? Thanks for any replies!

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

You should probably ask a flooring expert but I can say a good friend of ours has bamboo floors - and they are gorgeous - and have stayed gorgeous through 2 dogs and 2 cats claws on them plus grandkids, plus her having 2 knee surgeries and using a walker over them.

finewoman · ‎04-27-2010

I put bamboo hardwoods in my kitchen and dining area. If I did it again I'd put ceramic tile instead. Bamboo dents very easily and quickly. Ceramic tiles wouldn't show the dirt and I'd pick a dark color. `

finewoman · ‎04-27-2010

I put bamboo hardwoods in my kitchen and dining area. If I did it again I'd put ceramic tile instead. Bamboo dents very easily and quickly. Ceramic tiles wouldn't show the dirt and I'd pick a dark color. `

Jabberjaw · ‎03-10-2010

On 2/1/2015 finewoman said:
I put bamboo hardwoods in my kitchen and dining area. If I did it again I'd put ceramic tile instead. Bamboo dents very easily and quickly. Ceramic tiles wouldn't show the dirt and I'd pick a dark color. `

I would steer clear. I put bamboo in my kitchen ( from LL) last year and I am not happy at all. It does scratch easily and it is just me and my husband. I am going to tear it all out next year and go for a solid hardwood.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

We have a walkway through the edge of our living from that goes from our front to the kitchen. When we built the house we had prefinished tongue and groove hardwood put in. Over the years it got a bit unsightly so we pulled it out and replaced it with bamboo a couple of years ago. The installer had a dickens of a time cutting some of the trim pieces. Bamboo is a grass and it doesn't cut the same way as wood does. We have a cat and a big dog so I keep a long runner on it. So far, so good, and since it's in a relatively small space it'll probably last us a long time. Even so, I would not put it in an entire room.

lolakimono · ‎03-29-2012

@JeanLouiseFinch

I was looking for a flooring update; how are the bamboo floors doing two years later, especially with the pets?

TIA!

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@lolakimono wrote:
@JeanLouiseFinch
I was looking for a flooring update; how are the bamboo floors doing two years later, especially with the pets?

TIA!

@lolakimono Most of it is covered with a Royal Palace runner. The dog and cat do walk on the uncovered part and it still looks great.

ZoetheCat · ‎11-30-2014

My husband and I installed bamboo floors in our home about 7 years ago. We did the living room, office, hall and spare bedroom. We installed them ourselves. We absolutely love them. In fact, we just had the same bamboo installed in our master bedroom last Thursday. This time, we hired someone to do the work. Hubby had knee replacement, one last September and the other in November. He's doing great, but not "installing hardwood floors" great!

My sister recently had wood floors installed, and the people she hired talked her out of bamboo floors, saying they are too soft and dent easily. In all honesty, we have not had that problem. We don't have kids and no dogs (we do have a cat but that's a whole different animal, so to speak) so maybe that's why they show little sign of wear and tear. We tend not to wear shoes in the house, but I'm not neurotic about that. If I feel like wearing shoes,, I do, and I never request that guests go barefoot. Th bamboo has held up really well.

Lucky Charm · ‎03-09-2010

We had ash installed a few years ago in the kitchen and I specifically asked our guy who does our hardwood work about bamboo.

I'd heard that it was a great choice as far as enviromental sustainability, etc. I was really interested in using less toxic chemicals for the process and he said bamboo was actually worse.

I wonder if he was right because I'm getting ready to do another home with hardwoods and something like this is really important to me.

Anyone know if bamboo is better or is there any product/process that's less toxic?