Is Bamboo Flooring Harder Than Hardwood

Carbonized bamboo flooring is softer than natural bamboo.

Is bamboo flooring harder than hardwood.

Lighter colored bamboo is harder than darker bamboo as the carbonization process used to darken the wood makes it softer. Not everyone is in agreement that sanding and refinishing bamboo flooring is a good idea even though most types of bamboo are as hard or harder than hardwood flooring. It is harder than most hardwoods which makes it extremely durable. It is important to note however that some types of bamboo flooring may not be as hard and may be more easily damaged.

Hardness resistance to denting there are several different kinds of bamboo flooring and each of them has a characteristic hardness as defined on the janka scale an industry wide method of assessing the hardness of bamboo and wooden flooring. And bamboo is slightly harder than many hardwoods giving it somewhat better resistance to scratches and dents. Installing bamboo flooring means gluing or nailing to a subfloor. But this is not a water proof or scratch proof material.

Whereas darker carbonized bamboo with a janka rating of about 1 180 is significantly. Natural bamboo has a janka hardness rating of about 1 380 making it harder than most domestic hardwoods. The cost of bamboo flooring is 5 to 8 per square foot which is about the same as most common hardwood flooring types. Conventional vertical and horizontal bamboo flooring is comparable in hardness to red oak and strand bamboo is harder than ipé the hardest commercially available hardwood so.

In general bamboo falls at about 1 200 to 1 400 on the janka hardness scale which means it s a little harder than oak and ash. Take care to protect the floor against standing water and from scratches. It is harder than most traditional hardwoods and it is quickly becoming a favorite among consumers who have children or pets in the home. Bamboo flooring on the other hand is very durable.

The higher the janka score the harder the flooring and the higher its resistance to denting. The cost is generally less than traditional hardwood and like engineered hardwood bamboo flooring is easy to install for diyers. However bamboo does have a few detracting points. Engineered bamboo also called stranded bamboo flooring material is more durable than natural bamboo but is highly processed from its natural state being stripped boiled cut bonded and pressed.

When compared to hardwood bamboo is slightly more resistant to water damage. Additionally bamboo is termite resistant and comes in a huge choice of stains and plank widths.