Bamboo Laminate Flooring
Chosing Bamboo Laminate Flooring
Bamboo laminate flooring is becoming a more common choice of flooring. There are many reasons for this. It obviously has an oriental feel to it and therefore suits any décor or interior design theme that leans towards this area. Bamboo laminate flooring is also extremely strong due to the way in which it is manufactured. It is created from several different layers of ply or mdf that are glued together in such a way that they lie across each other. This give the bamboo laminate flooring a huge amount of strength that allows it to withstand all levels of foot traffic from the very light to the extremely heavy. Bamboo laminate flooring comes in two flavours. The first is the true laminate that has a top layer formed from a photo of bamboo. If this photo were to be used as the top layer as is, it would appear too real and therefore quite fake. The photo therefore has to be dumbed down so that it gives the bamboo laminate flooring the genuine appearance of a bamboo floor. This type of bamboo laminate flooring is less expensive than the second flavour called engineered bamboo laminate flooring. This is made with a top layer of genuine shredded bamboo. Obviously, because this type uses real bamboo for it’s top layer, you are guaranteed a floor that appears to be real bamboo flooring. It is because real bamboo is being used in the flooring that it is pricier than that which only uses a photo in the top layer.
Installing Bamboo Laminate Flooring
Installing bamboo laminate flooring is relatively easily handled by the home handyman. This saves the home handyman the cost of hiring a flooring installation specialist reducing the overall cost of the flooring significantly. The bamboo laminate flooring usually comes in packs of five to ten boards that can be bought from a local flooring retailer. Again they can be in two flavours. The first uses glue as the method of keeping the bamboo laminate floorboards in place. As each row of floor boards is laid, glue is squirted into the groove along the side of the row. The next row of boards is then pushed against the first row and any glue that pushes up through the crack is wiped off. This is continued until the entire floor is covered. The second type of bamboo laminate flooring boards that can be purchased doesn’t use glue, but rather uses a tongue and groove system. In this method the first row of boards is laid and then each of the second row boards are pushed and snapped into the first row. This continues until the entire floor is covered.
The glueless system of laying bamboo laminate flooring is less messy than the other method using glue and is easier to install as a result. The disadvantage of the glueless system is the subfloor has to be very level so that there is minimal movement of the floor between the boards. Movement of the floor while someone is walking on it can cause the boards to move against each other that at best can cause squeeking and at worst can cause the boards to come apart. This is far less likely with boards that are using glue. Glue between the boards also helps stop penetration of moisture between the boards if liquid is spilled on them. Continual spillage of liquid over time can cause the bamboo laminate boards to absorb the liquid and begin to warp. This is less likely to happen with glue cementing the boards together. The chances of this happening in bamboo laminate boards that don’t use glue can be reduced by quickly mopping up any spillages soon after they have occurred.
Other Reasons for Choosing Bamboo Laminate Flooring
Bamboo laminate flooring is also wonderful for it’s ease of cleaning. Usually a quick sweep or vacuum will remove most dust and dirt. For stains, a mop over with a gentle cleanser and hot water will usually do the job.
One area where engineered bamboo laminate flooring is better than other types of flooring is it’s environmental friendliness. Because bamboo is a type of grass, it can be grown and harvested every five years. This is very different to the hundreds of years it takes to grow an oak tree. It also affords very many other benefits that include water resistance and resistance to bugs and mites. Therefore it is perfect as the top layer of an engineered flooring.
Some people may be worried that a solid floor will be cold in winter. No problem. Just cover it with rugs or mats. This allows you to create a flooring that suits the climate you live in. For example if you live in an extremely cold climate you may want to use shag pile rugs. Alternatively, if you live in warmer climates you may just want to use mats. Then if your climate heats up again in summer, you can remove the rugs and you have a cool floor to walk on in the heat of summer. A solid floor is also extremely suitable for babies and toddlers who are prone to making mess. The sort of mess they make is often difficult to clean from a carpet. But solid bamboo laminate flooring is simple to clean. And if they make the mess on one of the rugs, the rug can simply be removed for cleaning.