Engineered Bamboo Flooring Pros and Cons

Installing engineered bamboo flooring is becoming more of a common thing across the country. Engineered bamboo has really become a popular choice because of its unique look, "green" aspects, and its durability. While it does present you with some definite benefits, there are also a few drawbacks of owning an engineered bamboo floor as well. Here are a few pros and cons associated with engineered bamboo flooring.

Pros

Non-Allergenic

One of the major benefits of having engineered bamboo flooring is that it is non-allergenic. It will not harbor dust and allergens like other kinds of flooring could. If you have allergies, this will make breathing indoors a lot easier for you overall.

Cleaning

Cleaning bamboo is also very simple. You can use a dust mop for daily maintenance and you can also use a variety of different cleaners for other purposes. You will not want to wet mop it like you would a tile or vinyl floor, but you can clean it pretty easily.

"Green" Product

It only takes 3 to 5 years for a stalk of bamboo to grow. This makes bamboo one of the most sustainable floors available on the market today. When you cut down a tree for a hardwood floor, it might take another 150 years to grow another one. Bamboo is also considered a grass and it does not require replanting. You just cut it and another stalk grows up right in its place.

Flexible Installation

With engineered bamboo flooring, you have several installation methods. Depending on your sub floor, you can glue it down, nail it down, or install it in a floating fashion. This allows you to put it over almost any sub floor and not ever run into an issue. The floating installation method also makes it possible for those with little experience to install it by themselves.

Cons

Softness

Even though bamboo will last a long time, it may not look like new for long. It is one of the softest woods that you can get and will dent and scratch easily. There have been numerous reports of women walking across the floor with high heels on and denting the floor. If you put heavy furniture on the floor, you need to use protective pads to make sure that it does not dent the floor.

Moisture Issues

Bamboo is also very susceptible to moisture problems. If you spill something on the floor, you need to make sure that you dry it up immediately. If the liquid were to seep down into the floor, it could buckle. This also prevents you from wet mopping it like you would with other types of flooring. You should also think twice about installing bamboo in a bathroom for this reason. When you install it, you will want to make sure that you use the appropriate moisture barrier under the floor.

Less Regulation

Much of the bamboo that we buy comes from China. They do not have the stringent regulations that U.S. companies do and therefore, you never know what you are going to get. Some of their bamboo will come with significant amounts of formaldehyde and other chemicals.