Is Bamboo Flooring Good for the Environment?

When it comes to flooring materials, bamboo isn’t as famous as hardwood. Still, bamboo can be an excellent choice for your next flooring project for numerous reasons. In fact, bamboo has gained a lot of attention in the flooring industry due to its cost, durability, and eco-friendly properties.

Bamboo flooring is a structurally stable product. This means that it reacts to fluctuating temperature and humidity; thus, it can be used with underfloor heating and floated over an underlay. When it comes to aesthetics, bamboo flooring can’t also be beaten. It’s available in various grains, patterns, colors, and finishes. Currently, there are three main styles of bamboo flooring and all these are offered at reasonable prices compared to some hardwood flooring.

In terms of eco-friendliness, although the ecological impact of flooring materials is diverse and complex, bamboo has more eco-friendly characteristics than other flooring and building materials. Those characteristics are enumerated below, so read on to learn more.

Bamboo grows rapidly.

Unlike hardwood trees that can take up to two or three decades to grow to maturity, bamboo can reach its maturity in three to five years. But bamboo harvested between five to seven years tend to be harder. In some cases, it grows three to four feet per day.

Growing this wood grass also does not require irrigation systems, fertilizers, pesticides, or much water. This means it can grow and spread easily with minimal to no care at all.

Harvesting bamboo is great for the environment.

When bamboo is harvested, only the stalk is cut, keeping its long roots planted in the soil. This helps improve soil conditions and prevent erosion along the way. Moreover, chopping bamboo stalks allows sunlight to reach the earth more and other shorter plants, which is excellent for ecological balance.

Renewable.

Since only the stalk is cut during harvest, there is no need to replant bamboo trees. The roots that remained after the harvest, can regrow an entirely new stalk, cutting down labor costs.

Great source of oxygen.

Bamboo groves can generate 35% more oxygen than hardwood forests of similar size, so they are often used for tree planting projects. Aside from being a great source of oxygen, bamboo can also absorb greenhouse gases.

Recyclable and Biodegradable.

Previously installed bamboo flooring can be removed and reused for new flooring installations. Moreover, bamboo will largely biodegrade in landfills since it’s a natural material.

Reduced carbon footprint.

Many believe that since bamboo is grown, manufactured, and shipped from Southeast Asian countries, it is causing more carbon emissions than other flooring materials. Although this may be true in certain circumstances, it’s worth noting that most hardwoods felled in other countries are shipped to South East Asian countries like China for manufacturing. Then, it is shipped back to Europe to be sold. This means that materials harvested from other countries will have to travel twice as much as bamboo.

Longer flooring lifespan.

High-quality and professionally installed bamboo flooring may be covered by a manufacturers’ warranty of up to 25 years. Moreover, if properly maintained and cared for, it can even last longer, reducing the need for costly replacements.

Periodically refinishing bamboo floors, much like hardwoods, will reinvigorate the look and condition of the material.

So is bamboo flooring good for the environment? The answer is yes! So if you’re looking into getting new floors installed, check with a professional flooring contractor for bamboo flooring options and get started with your eco-friendly flooring project. Good luck!