In American carpentry, hardwood has been a staple ever since the colonial days, but now, an alternative to traditional hardwood floors has emerged, and that is bamboo. Although associated more with pandas than construction, bamboo can in fact be a practical and competitive flooring material in American markets today, and what is more, this plant is much more ecologically friendly to use than hardwood is, and bamboo T molding can be done by skilled carpenters for maximum effect in floor transitions. Can bamboo strength compare to that of hardwood? It actually can, once processed correctly, and the cost of bamboo flooring can allow it to compete with more traditional materials like hardwood species. Bamboo flooring is a recent but already popular and fast-growing market for flooring remodeling or building construction, and it is also easy for homeowners or public building owners to maintain. Bamboo T molding can be done by contractors if a homeowner needs better floor transitions, and the flexibility of bamboo, from its strength to the option of bamboo T molding, may mean that bamboo hardwood is here to stay.
Flooring and Industry
Although often taken for granted, flooring is a very important aspect of any building, and it can cause a lot of complaints when there are maintenance issues, from stains on wood surfaces to scratches to warping and twisting due to excess humidity. The American flooring market is huge; in the year 2017, for example, the total of all flooring sales came out to $21.99 billion, and in that same year, those sales all together covered some 19.736 billion square feet, meaning that plenty of hardwood was used for all this work, but a lot of bamboo may have been used too, such as bamboo planks, finish, and bamboo T molding. A recent survey was conducted among manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and contractors for the flooring industry, and just over 70% of them said that they are expecting growth of at least 3% for flooring in the year 2018, and a third of those responders expect even more growth, 8% or more. With all this flooring work going on, bamboo ought to find a place in this business once contractors and homeowners fully appreciate the advantages of this material and factor in the potential disadvantages of bamboo flooring. There are several solid reasons why contractors and project owners should consider using more bamboo for flooring across the United States. To begin with, this plant, technically a grass, is much more ecologically friendly than hardwood is. After all, hardwood trees take 20 or more years to mature for logging, but bamboo needs only about three to five to become useful, and this plant is highly renewable. What is more, using a lot of bamboo flooring and other materials eases the strain on forests around the world, especially North America, and this can go a long way towards habitat preservation. Another advantage of bamboo is that it is easy to maintain and use in the home or public buildings. Bamboo T molding and more is possible with this material, and once the job is done, bamboo needs only wet mopping or soap and water to keep clean. If it gets scratches, sanding down and refinishing this wood is fairly easy, and can make it look new again. Further, bamboo can compete in price with hardwood, costing around $5 to $8 per square foot, and due to its manufacturing method, it is often just as strong. Bamboo planks are made when wild bamboo is sliced and shredded into fibers, then pressed together into solid planks with heat, pressure, and certain glue to create the finished product.
What are some downsides of bamboo to be aware of? Although tough, this flooring material is vulnerable to warping if exposed to excessive moisture, and this can twist or bloat the flooring out of shape. Conversely, very dry environments can cause bamboo to shrink and crack, so homeowners in desert of humid regions should be wary of this. Also, bamboo can get scratched or dented from dust, pet claws, or other items, although as mentioned above, refinishing bamboo is fairly easy. Finally, buyers should beware of very cheap bamboo, since it was probably manufactured in overseas facilities with lax regulations, and this bamboo was probably made with castoff materials.