Over the last few years, bamboo floors have become the latest craze. Environmentally conscious home owners are choosing them over traditional hardwood floors because of their sustainability and environmentally sound origins. However, some critics are raising the alarm that bamboo flooring are not as “green” as they could be.
There are different forms of bamboo floors available to consumers. In North America, the manufactured bamboo flooring that is commonly found is highly processed. The bamboo is first split and flattened, and then dried. Later it is laminated in layers with glue under high pressure. Manufactured bamboo floors are usually available in planks with either vertical- or horizontal-grain orientation.
Bamboo flooring is available in two major colors: natural (similar to beech) and carbonized (similar to oak). Bamboo flooring gets its color from a process called carbonization in which bamboo is steamed under a controlled pressure and temperature. As the bio-organisms and sugar breaks down, the color of the material changes into …