Anyone considering renovations to their home or office may be at a crossroad when it comes to deciding what type of flooring to use. Bamboo has become increasingly popular over the last few years because it is highly renewable and relatively inexpensive. Two terms that are used to describe bamboo flooring are "solid" and "engineered." It is important for anyone choosing between the two to understand the pros and cons of each and the features that make them unique from one another. While it is difficult to say that one is definitely better than the other, they both have unique aspects that may make one more preferable.
The biggest difference between engineered and solid bamboo flooring lies in their construction processes. Solid bamboo is exactly what the name implies. Solid pieces of bamboo are glued together to form the flooring. Every part of solid bamboo flooring is made up of bamboo. Solid bamboo usually comes in one of two varieties, vertical or horizontal. These two types are constructed in much the same manner, the difference being the way that the bamboo pieces are placed before they are glued together. The look of the flooring is the defining difference between vertical and horizontal bamboo flooring.
Solid bamboo flooring may also be made by taking small strips of bamboo and, after mixing them together with a very powerful adhesive, pressing the mixture together under heat that is extremely high. This method provides consumers with an incredibly strong bamboo floor. Engineered bamboo, on the other hand, is produced in a very different way altogether. This type of flooring involves taking thin strips of bamboo and gluing them together to form a top layer. The top layer is then adhered to a wood core. This wood core is made up of different types of wood that is comprised of layers.
Each layer of the wood core is turned in a different direction to create a very strong cross ply core. The core of engineered bamboo is made in a way that is not unlike plywood. Engineered bamboo and solid bamboo are indistinguishable once the floor has been laid. The biggest difference for consumers between the two is the price. Engineered bamboo also is likely to have a longer life because the way that it is constructed prevents it from expanding and contracting as much as solid bamboo. Engineered bamboo is also somewhat easier to install because it can be simply glued down to a concrete floor.
