The fact that you have reached this page leaves us guessing that you are considering and thus researching various types of flooring materials for a commercial project.
There are a myriad of options, and tons of (mis)information about the various kinds of flooring. We hope you’ll be a bit better informed on bamboo flooring and where it fits into the available types of flooring for commercial projects after reading this page.
We’re also guessing that you might be considering either a solid wood floor, an engineered floor or a laminated floor (tiles and concrete floors are just too cold & hard – and everybody has tiles anyway – ok we are biased, tiles and concrete floors definitely have their place).
If you have already decided on one of the best types of flooring, a solid wood floor, well done! This often happens when you are familiar with that warm, luxurious and solid feeling you get when seeing and walking on one.
Most immediately think of Oak, Maple or Cherry when they first think of installing a hardwood floor. Or, if you’re looking for pure luxury (price doesn’t really matter), most look to Walnut or Brazilian Teak. The harder woods are most suited to commercial flooring.
We urge you to seriously consider bamboo flooring for your next commercial flooring project. Here’s why!
First, when considering bamboo flooring, you need to see it as a solid wood floor. Strand woven bamboo flooring planks are crushed & pressed together, so are 100% solid, not laminated flooring planks.
Laminated flooring vs bamboo flooring
There is often confusion between “laminated” bamboo flooring and laminated flooring. Laminated floors are made of a base layer of sawdust or similar material, pressed & glued together, plus a top layer of a “photographed” texture, simulating the wood or pattern with a protective top layer.
You’ll know a laminate floor immediately when you walk on it, it feels thin (because it is).
Here is a quote from a very experienced flooring installer after inspecting water damaged bamboo flooring after 3 weeks of exposure to water:
If this had been a laminate or Oak floor, you would have had to throw the floor away! Hendri – Hendri’s Wooden Floors
Engineered flooring vs bamboo flooring
Engineered flooring, on the other hand, consists of a cheaper & softer wood base (typically Fir or Pine) with a thin 3-5 mm top layer of the desired wood (Oak, Cherry, etc).
This manufacturing technique allows for a wider plank. Most exotic woods used for flooring are not that stable and will buckle at greater widths, so the width of a solid plank is typically restricted to around 96 mm.
Engineered flooring also uses a lot less of the exotic wood required for the floor due to the thin layer at the top of the plank. This is a good thing, but it does not necessarily make engineered flooring any greener.
Solid wood flooring is well known to up the value of any property, is warm underfoot, and as it ages (yip, solid wood floors can last generations), it adds a unique character to your home. Solid bamboo flooring does the same plus it’s the truly eco-friendly option.
Why choose bamboo flooring?
Simple, you get;
- a solid wood floor
- with excellent durability (150% harder than an Oak floor)
- easy-to-maintain characteristics
- that is beautiful
- affordable (solid wood is becoming very expensive) and in line with engineered flooring
- increases the value of your property
- environmentally friendly
Cheap bamboo flooring
As with most products, you’ll always find the cheap and nasty brands offering “discount bamboo flooring”. You’ll notice that some bamboo laminate flooring reviews are not great. Why? Some factories skip on important aspects in the manufacturing process in order to make the product as cheap as possible and to gain the maximum profit from the products.
Unfortunately to the untrained eye, one bamboo flooring plank can look just like any other – leaving the unsuspecting specifier with an inferior product. Fortunately nowadays the Consumer Protection Act hold unscrupulous suppliers accountable for their product offerings. We support this act wholeheartedly. Low quality products affect the reputation of flooring as a whole.
Our bamboo flooring guarantee is simple – if there is any fault in the manufacturing quality of an Eco-Logic Bamboo flooring product, we’ll sort it out – no fancy footwork or fine print. If we receive a warranty claim, we commission a third party, insurance approved, independent assessor to determine the cause of any issue. If there is a problem with our product, consider it resolved.
Bamboo flooring for specifiers
If you are an Interior Designer or Architect, Eco-Logic Bamboo flooring, our top rated hardwood flooring – strand woven bamboo flooring – will exceed your requirements and give you a number of Green Star points in your next project.
In particular, our commercial bamboo flooring is rated “ND” – Not Detectable for harmful Formaldehyde emissions – that beats the strict European E0 standard. You can specify, knowing that your clients will be breathing clean air.
Bamboo flooring for commercial flooring?
MTN High Volume Repair Center
A common question is around bamboo flooring durability – strand woven bamboo flooring is almost as hard as expensive Brazilian Teak. This exceptionally high density and factory pre-finish make this one of the most durable type flooring, suitable for use in commercial applications.
You’ll find strand woven bamboo flooringin;
- hotels; One & Only™ and Louis Group Hotels™,
- car showrooms; Honda™,
- restaurants; Mugg & Bean™ and KFC™,
- commercial office blocks and retail spaces; Verisign™, MTN™ and Vodacom™
- and high class housing estates such as Val de Vie Polo Estate™ and many other commercial installations.
Click this link for more detail on each of the types of bamboo flooring and specifications of Eco-Logic Bamboo floor planks.
Have a look what the Director of Operations & Facilities at a public facility – Debbie Shock – had to say about a high traffic bamboo floor under her management:
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And here is what a hotelier had to say when they experienced a water leak after some roofing renovations:
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Are you concerned about the “embodied energy” of bamboo flooring as it comes from far away? Then this page is a must read.
Talk to us now about your project – let us know what you’re thinking! Or sign up for our occasional “Bamboo Showcase” newsletter to keep up-to-date on what others are doing with bamboo flooring, bamboo boards and bamboo panels.
Bamboo flooring – where can I buy?
Oriental Bamboo only supply Eco Logic Bamboo flooring for commercial projects where the minimum quantity for the project is greater than 1,000 sqm. If you are looking for bamboo flooring suppliers or installers, contact us with your requirements (click on the link) for your commercial flooring project and we’ll point you in the right direction.
If it’s the bamboo wooden flooring price you are looking for – click on this link and we’ll send you pricing.
Read on for more detail on each of the types of bamboo flooring …