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Alternative “Wood” Floorings
Bamboo and cork are the most commonly sought flooring alternatives to hardwoods. Unlike hardwoods, they are both produced by decades-old sustainable harvesting methods. In keeping with sound environmental practices, these flooring products are typically produced using environmentally sound processes, with few if any emissions. Both floorings are available with snap-together mechanisms.
BAMBOO
Bamboo is a fast growing grass, harvestable in three to five years. When harvested, the roots remain intact and sprout new growth which reaches its full height in just a few months, but is not at maximum hardness until about 5 years old. There are many species of bamboo; those used for flooring are not eaten by Pandas, so bamboo harvested for flooring poses no threat to their survival.
Bamboo is dimensionally stable. In its natural finish (very light, blond),
it’s generally harder than Red Oak or Maple. Bamboo with a caramelized
(also called carbonized) finish—a darker, richer color—is somewhat softer
as the caramelizing process involves long soaking in order to change the color. “Strand-woven” can
be as much as 2 times harder than traditional bamboo flooring, making it an
excellent commercial flooring. Bamboo is available as single planks, panels,
wide-planks, and also in larger panels and veneers for use on walls or built-in
furniture (e.g. kitchen island bases).
Brands We Carry:
Teragren
APC Cork
Wecork
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The color is usually natural or caramelized;
some styles may be available with color stains; graining is
vertical or flat
(horizontal), and refers to how the strips are laminated more than how the end-result appears (see illustration). Strand looks much like vertical, both lacking a display of the growth nodes.
Bamboo flooring, like solid wood, can be nailed, stapled, or glued. Some styles can be floated. Generally, bamboo planking is not recommended for below grade installs, as it reacts to moisture just like hardwood does. Similarly, it’s not the best for bathrooms, saunas, or any place where moisture levels are high or floors are subject to standing water puddles.
Bamboo pieces for use as stair treads and risers are available, too, along with the standard molding/finishing-piece styles.
CORK
Cork is harvested from cork trees, mainly in Portugal, in a centuries-old process from trees that may be several hundred-years old. A cork tree’s bark peels naturally and harvesting is done carefully, on a planned rotation, ensuring no damage to the tree. Cork flooring is available in different patterns, with a natural or color finish. It comes as planks, panels, or tiles, to be glued (tiles) or floated (planks), and is typically finished with polyurethane, although waxed or varnished finishes are available. Cork is a great sound-proofer; makes a very comfortable, warm floor; has excellent inherent mold/mildew/bacterial resistance; and is hypoallergenic and anti-static. What more could you ask for? While not as hard as hardwood or bamboo, cork’s resilience allows it to recover from compression dents to a far greater degree than wood will do. It’s a favorite for basketball courts, hospitals, and commercial applications where its resiliency, sound-absorbing, anti-bacterial, and mold/mildew resistant qualities are important. All these qualities make it an excellent, increasingly popular, home choice as well. About.com has an excellent section all about cork flooring.
