Bamboo Flooring Durability?
Is bamboo flooring durable? How does bamboo flooring durability stack up against other types of so-called wood flooring?
Answer:
It's easy to see why bamboo flooring might not be thought of as durable: it's not a wood. And it's mainly not the material itself that carries any of the qualities of hardness (or softness); it's the additives you use when producing bamboo flooring.
So, bamboo flooring can be as soft as you want (900 Janka scale) to as hard as you want (5000 Janka). Confused? Good. Read on:
Durability of Woods Vs. Grasses
When you floor with hardwoods--hickory or walnut, for example, both high on the Janka hardness scale --you don't need to do anything to make the flooring harder. While sealing the wood does increase its durability, my estimate is that that the wood fiber itself is already carrying well over 95% of the durability.
But bamboo is a grass. How does this work with flooring?
Bamboo Flooring Durability: It's Not In the Plant
The durability of bamboo flooring hinges on three factors: stalk placement, added materials, and quality of bamboo.
Janka Hardness For Bamboo Flooring
So, the hardness of bamboo flooring depends:
Traditional Construction Bamboo: 900-1300. This is in the red oak area.
Strand-Woven Bamboo: 2000-3200. This definitely peaks the Janka scale, with some bamboo floors rating as hard as Brazilian cherry and teak.
Answer:
It's easy to see why bamboo flooring might not be thought of as durable: it's not a wood. And it's mainly not the material itself that carries any of the qualities of hardness (or softness); it's the additives you use when producing bamboo flooring.
So, bamboo flooring can be as soft as you want (900 Janka scale) to as hard as you want (5000 Janka). Confused? Good. Read on:
Durability of Woods Vs. Grasses
When you floor with hardwoods--hickory or walnut, for example, both high on the Janka hardness scale --you don't need to do anything to make the flooring harder. While sealing the wood does increase its durability, my estimate is that that the wood fiber itself is already carrying well over 95% of the durability.
But bamboo is a grass. How does this work with flooring?
Bamboo Flooring Durability: It's Not In the Plant
The durability of bamboo flooring hinges on three factors: stalk placement, added materials, and quality of bamboo.
- Stalks/Construction: Most off-the-shelf bamboo flooring is made by laying the bamboo grass stalks cross-direction. Strand bamboo flooring is often called woven strand bamboo flooring for a good reason: strands of the bamboo stalks are pulled apart and more tightly integrated with the adhesives.
- Adhesives: But the thing that truly makes a bamboo floor hard? Adhesives. Bamboo flooring is stuck together by man-made adhesives. More adhesives made a bamboo floor harder.
- Bamboo Type: Unfortunately, this factor is difficult, if not impossible, to determine when shopping for bamboo floors. Better-quality, later-harvested bamboo is more durable than younger bamboo that is rushed to harvest.
Janka Hardness For Bamboo Flooring
So, the hardness of bamboo flooring depends:
Traditional Construction Bamboo: 900-1300. This is in the red oak area.
Strand-Woven Bamboo: 2000-3200. This definitely peaks the Janka scale, with some bamboo floors rating as hard as Brazilian cherry and teak.
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