Bamboo is Back
You may have forgotten about bamboo flooring, but it never went away. Like the bamboo plant, it continues to renew itself year after year, only to be better and stronger than ever before.
In the early 90’s bamboo became a popular flooring because it was natural and sustainable with a low carbon footprint. It had a beautiful vertical or horizontal grain that was very attractive, but it was soft and it dented easily.
Several years later strand woven bamboo was invented that took bamboo to a whole new level of durability and beauty. Made with Moso bamboo, known for its strength, it was compressed under heat and pressure with a formaldehyde-free adhesive to make it extremely dense.
2-3 times more durable than oak
The result was flooring that was exceptionally hard and durable. On the Janka hardness scale, traditional white oak has a rating of 1,300 to 1,500. Strand bamboo registers 4,000-5,000 which makes it one of the hardest flooring products on the market and puts it in the top 1%, similar to most Brazilian hardwoods. This was a game-changer that took everyone by surprise.
Janka Ratings For Different Types of Wood
| Strand Woven Bamboo | 4,000-5,000 |
| Patagonian Rosewood | 3,840 |
| Brazilian Walnut (Ipe) | 3,680 |
| Bolivian Cherry | 3,650 |
| Brazilian Teak (Cumaru) | 3,540 |
| Angelim (Angelim Pedra) | 3,040 |
| Brazilian Rosewood (Tamarindo) | 3,000 |
| Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) | 2,350 |
| Mesquite | 2,345 |
| Santos Mahogany | 2,200 |
| Hickory/Pecan | 1,820 |
| Bolivian Rosewood | 1,780 |
| African Padauk | 1,725 |
| Hard Maple | 1,450 |
| White Oak | 1,360 |
| White Ash | 1,320 |
| American Beech | 1,300 |
| Northern Red Oak | 1,290 |
| Black Walnut | 1,010 |
| Teak | 1,000 |
| Cherry (American/Black) | 950 |
| Yellow Pine | 690 |
| Douglas Fir | 660 |
Not only is strand bamboo more resistant to dents, it’s also resistant to water and insects, and is very stable. This makes it a great choice for any residential or commercial flooring application. It’s especially suited for rental apartments or families with kids and dogs.
It can be applied below, at, or above grade and is made as a solid nail or glue-down floor as well as an engineered floating floor for easy installation. It is available in dozens of designer colors and comes in many different finishes and textures such as hand-scraped, wire-brushed, and antiqued.
MOSO Bamboo is eco-friendly and carbon neutral
- outperforms all other bamboo and hardwood varieties in CO2 absorption and oxygen generation
- regenerates itself endlessly without harming the environment
- grows at a rate of one meter every day
- sustainably harvested and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- manufactured with no added urea formaldehyde
- ISO 9001 and 14001 certified in accordance with international management standards
- contributes to LEED points as a low-emission, natural product manufactured with specialty adhesives that contain no hazardous air pollutants
Since most of the world’s bamboo comes from China, it is no surprise that our strand bamboo is also made there. While some people prefer to avoid Chinese-made products, it’s worth mentioning that not all Chinese products have a bad reputation. For example, iPhones and Teslas are made in China to each company's high-quality standards.
Now Available: Green Building Supply Brand Bamboo Flooring
At Green Building Supply, we source products made to our standards of quality, durability and safety. GBS Strand Bamboo flooring has been thoroughly vetted, certified and personally field-tested by our staff. Sample rental boxes are readily available.
by Green Building Supply's
Joel Hirshberg
© April 10, 2024
