Choosing the right Bamboo Flooring for your home

When speaking to customers, often one of their questions is “What is the difference, if any, between horizontal, vertical and compressed flooring?”. There is a very big difference, and knowing this can be crucial in determining the right type of flooring for your home.

Generally we classify our bamboo flooring into the horizontal/vertical range and the compressed range. The horizontal and vertical range are made similarly while the compressed involves a whole different process.

When making horizontal/vertical floorboards, the bamboo is cut into individual long strips of bamboo. For horizontal floors, these bamboo strips are processed together with their widest side facing up, hence deriving the name “horizontal”. When the strips are joined together, it creates grains that mimic those found upon an actual bamboo stalk and produces a floorboard that is very aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The three layers of solid bamboo found in the horizontal range increase the strength and durability of the floorboard. This is then increased again by the middle layer, which contains a layer of opposing bamboo more commonly known as the cross board layer.

If however you do not like the grains that appear on the horizontal flooring, then perhaps the vertical range can be chosen as an alternative. The strips in vertical flooring are processed into one solid layer with the narrowest side facing up, hence deriving “vertical”. This process creates a very linear and uniform pattern that will accentuate any home.

The compressed flooring however is different to the horizontal/vertical flooring range. In the compressed range, instead of slicing the bamboo into strips it is shredded and processed together in a 2000 tonne press. This process makes compressed bamboo incredibly dense (over 1.15g/cm3), strong and most hard wearing bamboo type. It is no wonder that it is ranked among the hardest species of hardwood flooring.

Now that background information on all flooring is known, it is then time to assess the conditions of your home. For example, do you live in a home with young children or pets? What rooms are you looking to install, bedrooms, kitchens, living, etc? What about your price range?

Generally for homes with young children and/or pets or for an area of the home that is prone to accidents such a the kitchen, the compressed range is recommended. This is due to the hardness and strength. It is more able to withstand scratching and denting than the horizontal/vertical range. If perhaps you have weak joints or are just looking for a more comfortable product to walk on then this is where the horizontal/vertical range plays to its strengths. Although in terms of strength it falls short to compressed flooring, it provides a very comfortable surface to walk on.

This should not however deter you from each of these products. If you have young children but prefer horizontal flooring then there is no reason that horizontal would be a lesser choice. Bamboo flooring, no matter what type will provide a stunning and unique addition to your home. At Bamboo Connection we provide the highest quality of bamboo flooring possible. Visit us at our showroom or email us for advice or questions you may have.

By Bamboo Connection, Bamboo Flooring WA, Bamboo Flooring Perth, Specialists in Bamboo Flooring, Bamboo Doors and Bamboo Cabinets