Bamboo Flooring has gained massive popularity in recent years due to heavy marketing and a consumer push for more environmentally friendly floorcovering options. Bamboo flooring can give a look and feel similar to hardwood but lets you the consumer, make a choice on helping the environment and getting a great floor. Why is Bamboo such an eco friendly flooring option worth considering? Traditional hardwood floors such as Oak can take may years, up to 100 or more, to grow to maturity for harvest. Albeit real hardwood looks and performs well, it can task the environment with unnecessary losses. Even worse, critical forests can be jeopardized with the culling of trees used to produce exotic hardwood floors from rain forests and third world countries. Bamboo can be harvested in as little as 3 years and even the hardest of Bamboo groups are culled within 5-6 years. Bamboo can also re-grows in the same spot as the original stalk with little to no fertilizer. If you are going to shop for a Bamboo floor there are several terms that you will need to understand. Actually picking a Bamboo floor can present as many choices as selecting hardwood flooring. However, if you understand the terms you will be able to make a correct decision on the right floorcovering for your needs. o Carbonized versus Non Carbonized - These terms for Bamboo Flooring apply to the color of the boards. Non Carbonized Bamboo has a very light and bright color. If you are looking for a true natural color, Non Carbonized is probably right for you. Carbonized has a softer look. Some even consider Carbonized Bamboo to have Honey look to it. This process is used to achieve a different look for Carbonized Bamboo floors. One thing to consider is the process to Carbonize causes a slightly softer surface of about 10%, so if you are concerned with dents or a less dense wood, consider a Carbonized. o Stranding - Vertical, Horizontal or Strand Woven. These terms affect not only the appearance of the board and grains, but also the hardness. Vertical and Horizontal have the same hardness but vertical designs have a smoother longer running grain where as horizontal still has grain effects but noticeable joints where the strands have been joined in the manufacturing process. The difference between these two is simply aesthetics. Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring gives the closest appearance to wood and also due to the design of the product, has a harder surface than horizontal or vertical stranding. Due to the nature of the process, Strand Woven Bamboo is the most expensive of the three choices and is typically priced evenly with very high end exotic hardwood species. Some Strand Woven products also have a slightly warmer look like Carbonized but without the sacrifice of a soft surface. o Stained versus Unstained - Early on, Bamboo was prefinished as a natural color only. Now you can find some manufacturers that will provide a stained product. Typical stains are Wine/Cherry, Spice, Gunstock, and even darker colors such as Toffee or Black Walnut. o Installation - Engineered (multi layered) Bamboo is usually a glue down or floating floor design (no glue). Engineered can also be installed on a concrete subfloor in most cases. Solid Bamboo Floors are nail down products and can be refinished many more times than engineered designs. o The production and finishing process of Bamboo Flooring can be accomplished several ways. Early on, Formaldehyde was a heavy ingredient in the process. Many manufacturers have eliminated or drastically reduced the amount of this chemical in their process. Be sure to ask about emissions and Formaldehyde levels in the product you are considering. o What's the finish? Inquire if the finish is just a Polyurethane coating or does the Bamboo have a Aluminum Oxide Finish or a combination. Stay with the products that have mostly or all Aluminum Oxide. This type of finish is basically the same as traditional hardwood flooring and has much less off gassing than the pure Polyurethane finishes. It is also quite hard and performs very well for day to day use. Bamboo Flooring can be a beautiful addition to your existing or new home. It will perform well if cared for and give you an amazing conversation piece for visitors who compliment you on your choice. Not only will the floor look great for years, but you will have made a personal statement about making a difference to better the environment.