Bamboo flooring is an extremely popular flooring option. But there are several types of bamboo flooring that you will get in the market. Besides vertical, engineered, and horizontal bamboo flooring, the widely used type is the stranded bamboo flooring. This is one of the best and most used bamboo flooring choices in modern days. But what is it?
Stranded bamboo is made from thin and delicate fibers of bamboo. The separated fibers are composed together by putting them in high pressure and heat. This makes the stranded bamboo flooring extremely hard, durable, and compact.
But before you decide on buying stranded bamboo flooring, you should know more about stranded bamboo flooring. Knowing the features, pros, and cons of stranded bamboo flooring would help you understand whether it is a good flooring option for you or not. So let’s look into the matter closely.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Stranded Bamboo Flooring: Choose Wisely
Before a detailed discussion on the pros and cons of stranded bamboo flooring, here is a table mentioning the basic advantages and disadvantages of stranded bamboo flooring:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Extremely durable | Low-quality planks are scratchy |
| Easy to clean and maintain | Excess humid can damage it |
| Neat, smooth, and consistent design | Less variation in design and color |
| Can be refinished and polished | No grading system for bamboo flooring |
| Eco-friendly | Color diversity is limited |
Here is detailed information about the advantages and disadvantages of standard bamboo flooring:
5 Top Advantages Of Standard Bamboo Flooring: You Will Love Them
Here are the 5 top advantages of standard bamboo flooring:
1.Extremely Durable:
Stranded bamboo flooring is compressed, pressurized, and heated with resin to make it extremely durable, just like hardwood flooring. They won’t scratch or break easily under impacts or pressures.
2. Easy To Clean And Maintain:
Maintenance of stranded bamboo is super easy. You can just sweep and mop bamboo flooring to maintain its condition. Other than that, you can polish and refinish the bamboo flooring if the condition degrades a bit.
3. Consistent Design:
The consistency in grains and streaks of stranded bamboo flooring gives a very smooth and soothing look. As the fibers are bonded together, it shows uniformity and a delicate and neat pattern throughout the flooring.
4. Can Be Finished:
As bamboo flooring is finished several times, it lasts longer. The polishing and finishing reveal the inner layer of bamboo making it new and shiny again. This option makes the flooring long-lasting.
5. Eco-friendly:
Stranded bamboo flooring is eco-friendly as it doesn’t release much VOC during installation. Besides, disposed of bamboo floors won’t damage the land of water as it is biodegradable. Therefore, stranded bamboo is environmentally-friendly.
Disadvantages Of Standard Bamboo Flooring: They May Not Please You
Here are a few disadvantages of standard bamboo flooring:
May Scratch:
Different qualities of bamboo floorings are available in the market. If you buy low-quality stranded bamboo flooring, it may scratch easily. So make sure to buy original and high-quality bamboo flooring.
Less Variation:
The bonded fibers give a very sleek, smooth, and delicate flooring without much variation in the streaks or grains. Besides, you won’t get color and design options when you choose stranded bamboo flooring. It has a pretty monotonous appearance. If you like it, go for it. For greater variation, you would need to search for other options.
No Grades:
It becomes a hassle to find the best-stranded bamboo floor when there is no grading or rating system. This is a major drawback here. You would need to buy it from your knowledge, testing, and experience. No rating is given to defining the quality.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stranded Bamboo Flooring:
How Is Stranded Bamboo Flooring Made?
The very first step of obtaining bamboo flooring is to cut the cylindrical bamboo stands into two pieces. Now, these strands remain exposed to moisture and sunlight. Slowly, the strands start becoming flat, the fibers loosen from each other, and then these fibers are processed to make different types of bamboo floorings.
To make stranded bamboo flooring planks, these fibers are then composed together. Note that if they are transformed into carbonized bamboo flooring, the fibers are heated and smoked to give a dark shade to the fibers. Next, to strengthen the bamboo fibers, a layer of resin is added to the fibers. In the end, the fibers and resin are heated and pressured to create stranded bamboo blocks.
At last, the boards are then shaped into different sizes of planks. But note that throughout the process, the very raw and authentic look of bamboo. But the end product is extremely durable and suitable for high-traffic areas.
Is Solid Stranded Bamboo Better Than Engineered Stranded Bamboo Flooring?
Both solid and engineered stranded bamboo is durable and has excellent aesthetic value. But when compared, engineered stranded bamboo is more durable and moisture-resistant than solid stranded bamboo flooring.
Engineered stranded bamboo is more water-resistant due to the plywood layer beneath the sheet of bamboo. This makes the board stronger and moisture-resistant. In fact, the crafting is done to make it stronger and resistant to moisture. On the other hand, solid stranded bamboo is not as water-resistant as engineered one due to the lack of extra plywood.
However, most people like the look of solid stranded bamboo due to its natural look. Now you decide which one suits better with your choice.
Is Stranded Bamboo More Durable Than Vertical And Horizontal Bamboo Floors?
Stranded bamboo is actually the most strong and durable one among all the other bamboo flooring options available. The way it is crafted makes it as durable as hardwood flooring.
Both vertical and horizontal bamboo flooring is weaker than stranded bamboo flooring. They scratch and dent more easily than stranded bamboo. As stranded bamboo is crafted under heat and pressure, the bonding between the bamboo fibers is strong and compact. This makes stranded bamboo hard and solid almost impossible to crack. In fact, it is more water-resistant than horizontal or vertical bamboo flooring.
Therefore yes, stranded bamboo flooring is more durable than both vertical and horizontal bamboo flooring.
Where Can You Install Stranded Bamboo Flooring?
Stranded bamboo flooring has a very calming appearance with its consistent streaks and grains. The stretchy effect gives a sleek and compact look. Thus it can be installed in any commercial and residential area.
Both in high and medium-traffic areas across commercial and residential spaces, stranded bamboo can be installed. If you like a soft and soothing flooring look, this is quite a good option. Especially in areas like the kitchen, bathroom, and basement, stranded bamboo can provide you with long-lasting service. For safety, you may choose engineered stranded bamboo flooring. It will survive for a long time in such conditions.
So you can install stranded bamboo flooring in almost any area.
How Much Does Stranded Bamboo Flooring Cost?
Stranded bamboo flooring is an excellent option, made to last for a long time. So compared to other bamboo floorings, it costs a bit more.
While other bamboo floorings would cost between $1.50 to $4, stranded bamboo flooring would cost around $3 to $6 per square foot of area. In fact, this price may spike up to $11 if the quality is extremely good and has special features in it.
Due to the durability, longevity, and manufacturing procedure, the cost of stranded bamboo flooring is more than the other bamboo flooring options.
Is Stranded Bamboo Flooring More Durable Than Hardwood?
To your surprise, stranded bamboo flooring is actually more durable than most hardwood flooring species.
Only a few species like Brazilian walnut, Brazilian teak, and cherry, are more durable than stranded bamboo. Most commonly found wood species like hickory, oak, maple, walnut, pine, etc. are less hard and durable than bamboo.
Stranded bamboo is harder, tougher, and stronger than most hardwood flooring species. In fact, they would last longer than hardwood and have better moisture, scratch, and impact resistance.
Does Stranded Bamboo Scratch?
High-quality stranded bamboo flooring is generally scratch-resistant. It is one of the toughest and hardest bamboo floorings you can get.
A few low-quality stranded bamboo flooring scratch easily. But otherwise, most stranded bamboo floors are scratch-resistant. Minor scratches can’t damage or affect stranded bamboo flooring due to its hardness and tough surface.
Why Is Stranded Bamboo So Strong?
Stranded bamboo flooring is crafted specially to be strong and tough. The processing makes it durable, compact, and strong.
Stranded bamboo flooring is made by bonding bamboo fibers together under high heat and pressure. It is mixed with resin to make it even stronger. This composition of bamboo fibers makes the planks tough as the fibers are bonded in a compact and solid shape.
Is Stranded Bamboo Waterproof?
Stranded bamboo flooring is not waterproof but excellently water-resistant. I mean, it does get affected in water but also resists the effect for a long time.
Stranded bamboo flooring can survive in water for up to 30 hours. But if it stays exposed to water for a longer time, it may swell or warp. So we can’t state bamboo as completely waterproof. But it is surely water-resistant.
Are Stranded Bamboo Floors Good For Dogs?
Stranded bamboo flooring is a smart choice if you have a dog in the house. With random scratches and fur of dogs, bamboo flooring doesn’t get damaged.
Stranded bamboo is extremely tough and durable. It doesn’t scratch easily by dogs and the dirt and spills can be cleaned easily from bamboo. Moreover, major scratches can be scraped off by refinishing the bamboo planks. Therefore yes, stranded bamboo is a good option for homes with dogs.
Which Type Of Bamboo Flooring Is Best?
Stranded bamboo flooring is the best type of bamboo flooring among all. There are other options like vertical and horizontal bamboo flooring. But the stranded one is the best.
Stranded bamboo flooring is the most durable option. With the fibers bonded tightly under pressure and heat, stranded bamboo is one of the toughest options you have. Also, the stretchy look is smooth and eye-soothing. Thus from all aspects, stranded bamboo is the best bamboo flooring option.
Anyway by clicking on the link, you can read the detailed comparison between hardwood flooring and bamboo flooring.
Final Thoughts:
Now that you know a lot about stranded bamboo flooring, you can decide whether it suits your demands or not. If you want sustainable, long-lasting, and eye-soothing flooring, stranded bamboo floors are quite a good deal for you.
Nevertheless, examine and judge by yourself to see the compatibility of stranded bamboo flooring with your choice.
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