What Do I Need to Know About Bamboo Flooring?
Considering bamboo for your kitchen, bathroom or living room floor? Read our expert guide first
If you’re thinking about bamboo as a flooring choice for your home, have a look at our expert guide before you take the leap. See how it compares with solid wood, engineered boards and laminate, discover how it works with underfloor heating, and get an idea of cost.
Professional advice from: Chris Elliott of The Bamboo Flooring Company; Wayne Hawkes of Simply Bamboo; Andrea Swan of Swan Architecture
Professional advice from: Chris Elliott of The Bamboo Flooring Company; Wayne Hawkes of Simply Bamboo; Andrea Swan of Swan Architecture
What are the benefits of bamboo?
“It’s extremely versatile and can easily be fitted into almost any room in your home,” Chris says. “Strand woven bamboo flooring is durable and can last a lifetime if it’s looked after properly. It’s easy to clean and takes very little maintenance. It’s great for allergy sufferers, as there’s nowhere for pet hair or dust mites to gather and hide.”
“Bamboo as a material is very stable, so it deals with extremes of hot and cold weather much better than some wooden floors,” Wayne adds.
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“It’s extremely versatile and can easily be fitted into almost any room in your home,” Chris says. “Strand woven bamboo flooring is durable and can last a lifetime if it’s looked after properly. It’s easy to clean and takes very little maintenance. It’s great for allergy sufferers, as there’s nowhere for pet hair or dust mites to gather and hide.”
“Bamboo as a material is very stable, so it deals with extremes of hot and cold weather much better than some wooden floors,” Wayne adds.
Find a professional in your area to help install your floor.
Is it an eco-friendly choice?
“Bamboo itself is a fast-growing grass, making it extremely sustainable,” Chris says. “It will reach maturity, and can be harvested, in around five years, compared to 25-plus years for a hardwood tree. The root of the bamboo also self-generates, so there’s no need to replant the crop after harvesting – it will simply continue to grow.
“If you want to ensure bamboo flooring is truly eco-friendly,” he adds, “look out for FSC certification. This is a global organisation that awards certification to certain products that are proven to be sustainable and eco-friendly.”
The material itself can be sustainably managed,” Wayne agrees. “Bamboo is a very fast-growing grass, so it can be cut and regrown, and there’s a plentiful supply, so from that point of view, the raw material can be a more eco-friendly option than hardwood.
“On the other hand,” he says, “it has glues and coatings on it and it’s shipped from China, so that needs to be considered as part of the overall footprint of the product, as with any flooring material.”
“Bamboo itself is a fast-growing grass, making it extremely sustainable,” Chris says. “It will reach maturity, and can be harvested, in around five years, compared to 25-plus years for a hardwood tree. The root of the bamboo also self-generates, so there’s no need to replant the crop after harvesting – it will simply continue to grow.
“If you want to ensure bamboo flooring is truly eco-friendly,” he adds, “look out for FSC certification. This is a global organisation that awards certification to certain products that are proven to be sustainable and eco-friendly.”
The material itself can be sustainably managed,” Wayne agrees. “Bamboo is a very fast-growing grass, so it can be cut and regrown, and there’s a plentiful supply, so from that point of view, the raw material can be a more eco-friendly option than hardwood.
“On the other hand,” he says, “it has glues and coatings on it and it’s shipped from China, so that needs to be considered as part of the overall footprint of the product, as with any flooring material.”
How hard-wearing is it and in which rooms can it be used?
“Certain types of bamboo flooring [strand woven] are more than twice as hard as oak flooring,” Chris says. “It’s extremely durable and can be used in almost any room in your home. It’s perfect for busy areas, such as hallways, living spaces and kitchens.
“You can also use bamboo in a conservatory or rooms where the temperature and humidity change, as it’s stable enough to cope with these fluctuations,” he says. “Bamboo can even be fitted onto a staircase using matching bamboo flooring accessories.”
“It’s very hard-wearing,” Wayne agrees, “and it’s a very stable product that can handle moisture and temperature variations well.”
Andrea Swan used bamboo flooring in a lakeside home she renovated and says that 10 years after it was installed it was holding up very well.
“Certain types of bamboo flooring [strand woven] are more than twice as hard as oak flooring,” Chris says. “It’s extremely durable and can be used in almost any room in your home. It’s perfect for busy areas, such as hallways, living spaces and kitchens.
“You can also use bamboo in a conservatory or rooms where the temperature and humidity change, as it’s stable enough to cope with these fluctuations,” he says. “Bamboo can even be fitted onto a staircase using matching bamboo flooring accessories.”
“It’s very hard-wearing,” Wayne agrees, “and it’s a very stable product that can handle moisture and temperature variations well.”
Andrea Swan used bamboo flooring in a lakeside home she renovated and says that 10 years after it was installed it was holding up very well.
Cost-wise, how does it compare to a wooden floor?
Andrea cites budget as one of the main considerations for choosing the material over a wooden floor. Wayne agrees that it’s usually more affordable than wood. “It’s very competitive when compared to a solid wood floor,” he says.
“Generally, bamboo flooring is cheaper than both solid and engineered wood flooring,” Chris agrees. “Solid hardwood floors can sometimes be extremely expensive, and bamboo can be found at less than half the price [per square metre].
“Some types of engineered wood flooring can be a similar price to strand woven bamboo, but the bamboo is much more durable,” he continues. “Laminate flooring can greatly vary price-wise, depending on quality, and it’s usually cheaper than most bamboo flooring. However, laminate flooring is not a natural product and it will not last as long as bamboo.”
Andrea cites budget as one of the main considerations for choosing the material over a wooden floor. Wayne agrees that it’s usually more affordable than wood. “It’s very competitive when compared to a solid wood floor,” he says.
“Generally, bamboo flooring is cheaper than both solid and engineered wood flooring,” Chris agrees. “Solid hardwood floors can sometimes be extremely expensive, and bamboo can be found at less than half the price [per square metre].
“Some types of engineered wood flooring can be a similar price to strand woven bamboo, but the bamboo is much more durable,” he continues. “Laminate flooring can greatly vary price-wise, depending on quality, and it’s usually cheaper than most bamboo flooring. However, laminate flooring is not a natural product and it will not last as long as bamboo.”
What types of bamboo flooring are available?
“Much like a wooden floor, bamboo is available as a solid board or an engineered board,” Wayne says. “The majority of the product we sell is solid bamboo.”
“The three main types of bamboo flooring are horizontal bamboo [with a wide grain pattern], vertical bamboo [with a narrow grain pattern] and strand woven [with a random grain pattern but extremely strong],” Chris says. “Strand woven bamboo flooring is available as either a plank or a parquet block.”
“Most types of bamboo flooring are solid bamboo, but there’s also an option of engineered if you prefer,” he adds. “Solid tends to be more popular and it’s just as versatile as engineered bamboo in terms of where and how you can install it.”
Having used it herself, Andrea says she would recommend engineered boards, and adds that you should “choose a good-quality manufacturer. It should be able to withstand moisture well.”
“Much like a wooden floor, bamboo is available as a solid board or an engineered board,” Wayne says. “The majority of the product we sell is solid bamboo.”
“The three main types of bamboo flooring are horizontal bamboo [with a wide grain pattern], vertical bamboo [with a narrow grain pattern] and strand woven [with a random grain pattern but extremely strong],” Chris says. “Strand woven bamboo flooring is available as either a plank or a parquet block.”
“Most types of bamboo flooring are solid bamboo, but there’s also an option of engineered if you prefer,” he adds. “Solid tends to be more popular and it’s just as versatile as engineered bamboo in terms of where and how you can install it.”
Having used it herself, Andrea says she would recommend engineered boards, and adds that you should “choose a good-quality manufacturer. It should be able to withstand moisture well.”
Is it compatible with underfloor heating?
“Yes, but you need to use an engineered board if you’re combining it with underfloor heating,” Wayne says.
“The most important thing to remember,” he adds, “is that if the floor has been freshly screeded, it has to be absolutely bone dry before you do anything. Then, once it is, you need to apply an underlay, then click the boards down on top of this layer.”
“Yes, but you need to use an engineered board if you’re combining it with underfloor heating,” Wayne says.
“The most important thing to remember,” he adds, “is that if the floor has been freshly screeded, it has to be absolutely bone dry before you do anything. Then, once it is, you need to apply an underlay, then click the boards down on top of this layer.”
What colour is bamboo flooring?
“Bamboo is naturally a straw colour,” Wayne says, “although, like a solid wood floor, it can be carbonised and stained to a range of different shades.”
Interestingly, Wayne sees a seasonal shift in the colours homeowners choose throughout the year. “In the winter, people like their homes to feel brighter, so they tend to choose the paler shades,” he says. “In the summer, they’re more confident in choosing dark tones.”
Andrea chose bamboo for her own home partly because of the distinct colour of the material. “I liked how it would look once faded from the sun [to a lighter yellow],” she says. “It worked for my aesthetic, which was Scandinavian modern.”
“There’s a wide range of choice with bamboo flooring,” Chris says, “including different colours, grain patterns and surface finishes.”
“Bamboo is naturally a straw colour,” Wayne says, “although, like a solid wood floor, it can be carbonised and stained to a range of different shades.”
Interestingly, Wayne sees a seasonal shift in the colours homeowners choose throughout the year. “In the winter, people like their homes to feel brighter, so they tend to choose the paler shades,” he says. “In the summer, they’re more confident in choosing dark tones.”
Andrea chose bamboo for her own home partly because of the distinct colour of the material. “I liked how it would look once faded from the sun [to a lighter yellow],” she says. “It worked for my aesthetic, which was Scandinavian modern.”
“There’s a wide range of choice with bamboo flooring,” Chris says, “including different colours, grain patterns and surface finishes.”
Are there any downsides to bamboo?
There’s some debate among suppliers and installers over how waterproof the material is. While Wayne says it can sometimes be used in bathrooms, Chris advises against it due to the fact that it’s not strictly waterproof.
Andrea also flags a similar point, as she cautions that some builders and professionals she works with are hesitant to use the material. “They aren’t installing it, because they had too many complaints of expansion,” she says. She adds, however, that she hasn’t had that problem with her own floor.
There’s some debate among suppliers and installers over how waterproof the material is. While Wayne says it can sometimes be used in bathrooms, Chris advises against it due to the fact that it’s not strictly waterproof.
Andrea also flags a similar point, as she cautions that some builders and professionals she works with are hesitant to use the material. “They aren’t installing it, because they had too many complaints of expansion,” she says. She adds, however, that she hasn’t had that problem with her own floor.
How easy is it to install?
“Bamboo flooring is fairly straightforward to install,” Chris says. “There are two main fitting types: either click-fitting or tongue-and-groove. As bamboo is dimensionally stable, you have the choice of either floating the floor over an underlay or fixing it directly to the subfloor.
“Click-fitting bamboo requires less skill and equipment than tongue-and-groove, so could be done by a keen DIYer,” he says. “If you don’t want to fit the flooring yourself, it will be easy to find a tradesperson for the job – it’s the same as laying a hardwood floor, so any professional floor fitter should be able to install it.”
Tell us…
What are your thoughts on bamboo flooring? Let us know in the Comments.
“Bamboo flooring is fairly straightforward to install,” Chris says. “There are two main fitting types: either click-fitting or tongue-and-groove. As bamboo is dimensionally stable, you have the choice of either floating the floor over an underlay or fixing it directly to the subfloor.
“Click-fitting bamboo requires less skill and equipment than tongue-and-groove, so could be done by a keen DIYer,” he says. “If you don’t want to fit the flooring yourself, it will be easy to find a tradesperson for the job – it’s the same as laying a hardwood floor, so any professional floor fitter should be able to install it.”
Tell us…
What are your thoughts on bamboo flooring? Let us know in the Comments.
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“I started Simply Bamboo 26 years ago, after working in Hong Kong, where I first saw the product and spotted its potential,” Wayne Hawkes says. “I’d say interest has really grown in the UK in the past five years.”
“We’ve been selling bamboo flooring for almost 21 years,” Chris Elliott says, “and during that time it’s become more and more popular with homeowners. There’s [now] much more variety in terms of colour, style and strength.”