Bamboo flooring is one of the most desired and aesthetically appealing flooring options available. But when it comes to the designs and colors, most people get confused. This is because finding a suitable color can be difficult due to less availability. But that doesn’t mean there are no color and pattern options in bamboo flooring. You just need to know more about it.
Bamboo flooring colors depend on how it is being processed. As bamboo is natural, it is not possible to completely alter the color unless you paint it. But different mechanisms can slightly change the color and pattern. Note that with the color-changing process, other properties of bamboo flooring change too. So you see, you need to take care of several matters.
To simplify your task, I am here to talk about different bamboo flooring colors and other factors you need to remember. For making an informed decision, read the article, note down the key points, know the color options, and then come to a conclusion.
6 Bamboo Flooring Colors: The Common Options
Before you learn about all the types and shades of colors in bamboo flooring, let me tell you the common ones. The available options are those that you would easily get in the market or even customize the color. Remember that each color may have different textures and bamboo flooring types. So different colors would differ depending on the type of bamboo flooring.
So to start with, I will mention 6 types of bamboo flooring colors that you are likely to get in the market:
1. Natural Beige Bamboo Flooring:
The very basic color is the soft natural beige tone of bamboo. If you have even seen bamboo strands, you can see the consistent grain and very light and soothing golden-ish beige tone. This is the most common bamboo flooring color that is available. And it is also admired by people because of its natural tone. No staining or processing!
The best part is, the light shade of natural bamboo matches well with almost any type of interior. Be it a farmhouse or a posh and elegant house, natural bamboo can go with every style. Also, from the bathroom to the basement, kitchen to the living room, the natural bamboo tone is suitable for all places. Just make the interior contrast or match with the flooring; that is it!
Natural bamboo shade is entirely natural. So no processing is done to change the tone. This means if you want solid bamboo flooring as it is, a natural tone is what you are going to choose.
2. Grey Stained Bamboo Flooring:
If you want a calming and chilly grey bamboo flooring, it is possible by staining the bamboo planks. Grey tone is nowhere similar to the natural tones of bamboo flooring. I mean it is not even a shade of brown that you can make it in other processes. You have to stain the bamboo flooring to get the desired grey shade.
The plus point is you can make the grey tone darker or lighter according to your need. As it has to be stained, the amount of stain being used would determine the intensity of the color. So you can get the grey tone you want. Also, you can choose a glossy finish by not sanding the bamboo flooring after staining. If you want a rustic and raw look, you can refinish it to make it stronger and more realistic look.
Grey-stained bamboo flooring suits best in coastal areas and warm weather conditions. The calming neutral grey shade makes the floor aesthetically pleasing and eye-soothing. You can also choose this color for your bathroom and kitchen flooring or maybe your basement where staining or scratches are more likely to happen.
3. Carbonized Bamboo Flooring:
Carbonized bamboo flooring is another very common option you can go for. For people who like darker tones, you can get a caramelized, honey-tinted color in the carbonized bamboo flooring. The shade is warm brown giving a hardwood look. You can get the intensity of the shade as per your wish. Just the procedure has to extend a bit to make the color darker.
Carbonized bamboo planks are made in an interesting process. The bamboo planks are smoked or boiled to carbonize the fibers. What happens is, the sugar in the bamboo fibers starts to caramelize due to the heat. Just like how caramel is made, bamboo fibers take the color of caramel. The longer you boil the planks, the darker the shade becomes.
Remember that due to the carbonizing procedure, carbonized bamboo planks become softer than natural ones. This is why carbonized bamboo flooring is not considered the most durable one. But it is favorable for usual usages and to add decorative value to your space.
4. Dark Brown Chestnut Bamboo Flooring:
Carbonized bamboo flooring has a dark brown shade, which is true. But to get an intense dark brown shade that is incessant throughout the flooring, staining is needed. Staining intensifies the color and makes the bamboo strands dark and exotic.
People who admire dark-colored flooring would love the chestnut bamboo flooring. In this process, natural bamboo planks are stained with dark chestnut brown stains. Just like the staining process of grey-stained planks, chestnut bamboo planks are made in the same way. The benefit is that you can control the color tone as it is not being boiled or carbonized. Put as much stain as you want and intensify the shade.
For exotic and classy bamboo flooring, chestnut-stained bamboo flooring is one of the best choices. Just like solid hardwood flooring, intense dark brown bamboo flooring looks vibrant yet magnificent.
5. Rustic Tiger Bamboo Flooring:
It is named tiger bamboo flooring due to the zigzag pattern the flooring shows. It is a very rare color of bamboo flooring mostly used in farmhouses or countryside homes. The rustic look is very unique and bright, suitable for heavy traffic areas as well.
Though used rarely, tiger bamboo flooring is still a good choice. It is made by bonding natural and carbonized bamboo fibers. So you get a combination of natural beige tone and caramel brown shade. The contrast of dark and light brown gives a very happening color tone. Some may also add dark brown stains to make the graining more noticeable and prominent. Both ways, it looks like tiger stripes! Interesting, right?
Rustic tiger striped bamboo flooring can be used in outdoor spaces, basements, bathrooms, or other high-traffic areas. They are strong, hide scratches and damages, and also look rustic and vibrant.
6. Printed Bamboo Flooring:
After all the options of staining and mixing strands, some people would go for printed bamboo flooring. Printed bamboo floorings are made if anyone wants a specific look. Because something specific can’t be made by carbonizing or staining. It just changes the color but doesn’t replicate the look of anything.
Many people want the strength and water resistance of bamboo with a look of solid hardwood. This is why printed bamboo flooring is made. Prints of various hardwoods like oak, cherry, ebony, etc. are pressed and sealed on top of natural bamboo planks. It just adds a thin layer on the bamboo flooring which only replicates the look of the hardwood. So basically, the core color is not being altered but the color is pasted on the top. Now, this color would depend on which print you are choosing.
People who really want the look of solid hardwood would definitely love to try out printed bamboo flooring colors. You can find a lot of options in this and choose a shade you like to paste on the bamboo flooring.
Factors Affecting Bamboo Flooring Colors: 2 Major Considerations
Yes, there are 6 color options in your hand. But these shades can look different depending on two factors. If you don’t acknowledge these factors, you may not get the flooring that you might have been thinking of. These two factors slightly or largely affect the look of the bamboo flooring and color.
Let me tell you how these factors affect bamboo flooring colors and what are the differences you may see:
1. Texture:
Bamboo flooring texture determines the look of bamboo flooring. The color can be anything but the texture would bloom the color. The intensity and beauty of the color would be expressed differently in different textures. But how? Let me tell you about two available textures that alter the color or at least change the look even if the color is the same.
- Smooth:
The smooth texture of bamboo flooring would give a glossy and shiny look. The shine would liven up the color even more and under light, the flooring would shine and gleam brightly. The silky texture with the minimal grain is the best if you want to intensify the color of the flooring. Less disturbance and beautiful consistency make the color of the flooring the focal point. It looks absolutely gorgeous and stunning when the bamboo flooring color shines under the light!
- Hand-scraped:
Hand-scraped bamboo flooring has a distressed look as if someone has scraped the planks with their hands. The dark and light tones with inconsistent grains give a very vibrant look. The color looks bright too but the glossy effect is missing in this texture. It gives a rustic and antique look where the color looks matte. This looks very natural and is best for rough usage. I mean, it can perform well in heavy-traffic areas.
So you see, the texture of the bamboo flooring decides how the color would appear on the floor.
2. Type:
There are three types of bamboo flooring. Though there is no considerable difference between these types, the color can change depending on which type you are choosing. While stranded bamboo has frequent knots and consistent graining, other types don’t look the same.
Let me explain the basic differences between the bamboo flooring types and how they can alter the color or texture:
- Vertical:
Vertical bamboo planks have bamboo strands bonded vertically. The stripes and grains create an inconsistency in the flooring. It slightly has the hand-scraped texture in it. This means the color shades would be mixed and inconsistent throughout the flooring.
- Horizontal:
Horizontal bamboo planks have fibers arranged horizontally. This has a better consistency with fewer grains and scrapes on the planks than vertical bamboo. This makes the flooring cleaner and tidier than vertical bamboo planks. Here, the color would look incessant, clean, and as it is with less disturbance.
- Stranded:
Stranded bamboo flooring can have different looks. It is made by combining bamboo fiber under extreme heat and pressure. Mostly, it has a consistent look with frequent knots but fewer grains. The color varies depending on the intensity of the heat and pressure given. But it is mostly consistent but with knots.
Note that engineered bamboo would just replicate the color of any of the three options mentioned above. It doesn’t have any specific color or texture as the upper layer is either horizontal, vertical or stranded bamboo.
Related Questions About Bamboo Flooring Colors:
What Is The Real Bamboo Flooring Color?
Naturally, bamboo flooring has a very pale yellowish beige tone. The tone is quite light and soothing, suitable for house interiors. With consistent grains and knots, the real bamboo color looks pleasing and calming.
A very rare species of bamboo has a slightly brown tone. They are not found commonly and are not usually used for flooring. The most commonly used bamboo is colored light beige with a tint of white and pale yellow. The knots and grains are either white or light yellow.
Therefore, the real color of bamboo flooring is very light and consistent beige yellow with white tints.
Can Bamboo Flooring Be Stained For Darker Color?
Yes, it is possible to stain bamboo flooring. As the natural bamboo color is light and yellowish, you can stain it to get a darker shade. But there are other ways to darken the color of bamboo flooring.
You can buy carbonized bamboo flooring for a natural dark shade. It looks pure and raw and no extra stain is used. The inconsistency gives a classy look. But if you want a specific color shade on the bamboo flooring, staining is the best option. You can select a particular color and stain the bamboo flooring accordingly. This can be grey, dark brown, black, or any shade you like.
Therefore, it is possible to stain bamboo flooring to get a darker color.
Can You Stain Bamboo Floors GREY?
Many people admire the neutral grey shade of flooring for a calming and beautiful interior. But can you get such flooring with bamboo? Yes, you can.
Bamboo flooring is naturally not anywhere near grey color. So you need to add a grey stain to make it look grey. If bamboo fibers are stained with grey tint, the grains and knots will look the same but the shade will turn grey. As it is being stained, you can also decide the intensity of the tone. You can go for a light, medium, or dark grey tone on the bamboo flooring.
Therefore yes, you can stain bamboo flooring grey.
Can Bamboo Be Painted?
If you want to get a completely different look on bamboo flooring, you might want to paint it. And thankfully, you can actually paint bamboo flooring according to the color of your choice.
However, not all paints can be used on bamboo flooring. A few paints would sit well on bamboo flooring. Some of the options are pointed below:
- Latex paint;
- Milk paint;
- Chalk paint;
- Glossy lacquer;
- Mineral paint;
- Oil paint;
These paints are suitable for bamboo flooring. However, you should always consult an expert on deciding which paint to use on a particular type of bamboo. Also, be cautious about painting it as the bamboo floor has to be treated properly before painting.
Does Bamboo Flooring Color Change With Time?
No matter the quality of bamboo flooring, the color may change due to regular usage, pollution, etc. If properly cleaned or cared for, this would happen very slowly. But it would still change the color a bit after a certain period.
If you buy natural bamboo flooring, the color would become darker or black due to dirt, heat, pollution, etc. Also, exposure to heat or sunlight can caramelize the bamboo making it darker. On the other hand, carbonized or dark-colored bamboo may fade or become lighter with time.
If you can maintain the flooring properly, the process of color-changing will slow down. But the color may slightly become lighter or darker with time.
Final Thoughts:
Now that you know all about bamboo flooring color, I believe you will be able to decide which color is best for your house or office. Besides, considering the texture and type would be your task too.
So far, which bamboo flooring color have you liked the most?
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