Every week, a million acres of the world's forest disappears due to logging. If that sounds upsetting to you, you're not alone. Many of us are rethinking the wood and paper products we buy for daily life and for our homes.
A sixty foot tree can take more than half a century to replace itself, making the "renewable" resource that is wood one that's not renewing itself fast enough. Comparatively, a piece of bamboo the same length takes only about sixty days to be replaced. It's one of the fastest growing materials on the planet, and it works in many of the same uses that currently require wood.
If you use it correctly, bamboo can be just as strong as steel - it even works as rebar in concrete, allowing steel to be used for other things. Bamboo's a great choice for flooring, as well. Many trees that might have ended up as laminate and hardwood floors can be saved by using bamboo instead.
Flooring constructed from bamboo feels much like wood and is as easy to keep clean and allergen free. It's also very easy to install, with a natural, warm tone to it that makes a home feel welcoming. Bamboo flooring is also sustainable and environmentally friendly when grown correctly, and has its own special look.
Most bamboo flooring is what's called compressed bamboo, though veneered laminate flooring is also on the market. The majority comes pre-finished and is ready to install right out of the package, with many versatile installation options. Make sure you know what you're buying and what you'll need for installation before you dive in.
Be sure to pay close attention to the type of bamboo your supplier uses, since different farms grow under different conditions. Bamboo, when grown correctly, requires few pesticides and very little fertilizer. However, not all growers use responsible methods, so not all bamboo is as eco-friendly as it could be.
Another thing that can affect the quality and sustainability of bamboo flooring is the way it's manufactured. Bamboo that's not up to grade, has been grown as a monoculture, or is put together with toxic glues can be unhealthy to have in your house, unsustainable to produce, and may wear out more quickly.
If you want a new floor for your home, however, and having a low impact on the environment is a real priority, you can't do much better than bamboo. Growing it reduces carbon dioxide in the air, properly produced crops reduce erosion, and this crop can even remove toxins from polluted soil. Plus, it grows so much faster than wood.
There are all kinds of looks and colors, depending on manufacturing process and treatment. Everything from strongly grained floors to very mild ones is available with colors ranging from nearly white to ebony dark. Darker colors are a bit softer than their lighter cousins, due to the heat treatment used to color them, but they still perform very well in homes.
If you've been on the market for a great floor that provides all the benefits of wood, but you aren't sure about the environmental impact a hardwood floor might cause, think about bamboo. These beautiful floors are the answer to all your problems! - 29956
A sixty foot tree can take more than half a century to replace itself, making the "renewable" resource that is wood one that's not renewing itself fast enough. Comparatively, a piece of bamboo the same length takes only about sixty days to be replaced. It's one of the fastest growing materials on the planet, and it works in many of the same uses that currently require wood.
If you use it correctly, bamboo can be just as strong as steel - it even works as rebar in concrete, allowing steel to be used for other things. Bamboo's a great choice for flooring, as well. Many trees that might have ended up as laminate and hardwood floors can be saved by using bamboo instead.
Flooring constructed from bamboo feels much like wood and is as easy to keep clean and allergen free. It's also very easy to install, with a natural, warm tone to it that makes a home feel welcoming. Bamboo flooring is also sustainable and environmentally friendly when grown correctly, and has its own special look.
Most bamboo flooring is what's called compressed bamboo, though veneered laminate flooring is also on the market. The majority comes pre-finished and is ready to install right out of the package, with many versatile installation options. Make sure you know what you're buying and what you'll need for installation before you dive in.
Be sure to pay close attention to the type of bamboo your supplier uses, since different farms grow under different conditions. Bamboo, when grown correctly, requires few pesticides and very little fertilizer. However, not all growers use responsible methods, so not all bamboo is as eco-friendly as it could be.
Another thing that can affect the quality and sustainability of bamboo flooring is the way it's manufactured. Bamboo that's not up to grade, has been grown as a monoculture, or is put together with toxic glues can be unhealthy to have in your house, unsustainable to produce, and may wear out more quickly.
If you want a new floor for your home, however, and having a low impact on the environment is a real priority, you can't do much better than bamboo. Growing it reduces carbon dioxide in the air, properly produced crops reduce erosion, and this crop can even remove toxins from polluted soil. Plus, it grows so much faster than wood.
There are all kinds of looks and colors, depending on manufacturing process and treatment. Everything from strongly grained floors to very mild ones is available with colors ranging from nearly white to ebony dark. Darker colors are a bit softer than their lighter cousins, due to the heat treatment used to color them, but they still perform very well in homes.
If you've been on the market for a great floor that provides all the benefits of wood, but you aren't sure about the environmental impact a hardwood floor might cause, think about bamboo. These beautiful floors are the answer to all your problems! - 29956
About the Author:
Bamboo floor coverings are a great alternative to environmentally unsafe timber floors. At Bamboozle, we even have our own factory in China where we manufacture quality product for lovers of beautiful bamboo floors.
