When picking flooring for your home, you will come across several options. If you decide upon wood floors, you will be faced with the decision between bamboo flooring and hardwood flooring. For help deciding which you should choose, keep reading.
The first thing to consider when selecting flooring is the price. Take note of your budget to determine which flooring option is best for you. Bamboo flooring, depending on where you shop, ranges in price from $2 to $5 per square foot. On the other hand, standard hardwood usually ranges in price from $3 to $5 per square foot. If you are seeking a more unique option, exotic hardwood flooring can cost as much as $10 per square foot.
Now that you know the standard prices of bamboo and hardwood flooring, it’s time to learn about the quality of each option. After you know what you can afford, you can pick the best selection for your budget. You want to purchase flooring that has durability and longevity, so be sure look at the size, hardness, moisture tolerance, evenness, and so on of the flooring you are considering purchasing.
Most hardwood flooring is made from the strongest trees available. However, depending on the wood you select, the strength varies. The Janka rating is a way to measure the hardness of wood. The highest Janka rating possible is a 3,500. Oak hardwood flooring typically earns a 1,220, while cherry hardwood flooring ranks in at 950. On the other hand, bamboo flooring typically scores a 1,762. Usually, bamboo flooring is stronger, but this varies from type to type.
The last thing to consider when selecting a flooring option is environmental concerns. Both hardwood and bamboo flooring are biodegradable and won’t contribute to the global construction waste problem. However, because bamboo grows faster than trees and the roots of the bamboo don’t need to be removed to harvest, they have less of an environmental impact than hardwood.
Now that you know the major differences between hardwood and bamboo flooring, it’s time to shop. Visit flooring.org to find a variety of flooring options perfect for your space or feel free to reach out to us today at 800-689-9006.
