The Benefits of Bamboo Flooring vs. Oak

Oak has long been the most popular of woods for hardwood floors. This icon of the flooring industry has a new challenger in Bamboo. A growing number of homeowners are choosing Bamboo floors for their beauty, sustainability, affordability and durability. If you’re interested in the advantages of Bamboo flooring vs. Oak hardwood floors, read on to learn more about how these two surfaces compare head to head.

Oak offers classic beauty

Oak is among the most popular of hardwood surfaces for several very good reasons. Red Oak and White Oak produce beautiful floors that are highly durable and can be finished for virtually any design scheme. Red Oak planks feature deep salmon tones in the heartwood and prominent grain patterns. White Oak offers light, nutty brown hues and grain patterns that range from simple and sleek to intricate swirls.

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Bamboo delivers versatility

Bamboo is not actually a wood, but a wood-like grass that may grow up to 60 feet in height. Unlike a solid hardwood Oak floor, Bamboo floorboards are not cut from a single piece of Bamboo but are made by adhering multiple strips of Bamboo together. Bamboo has a naturally light color, but many forms of Bamboo floorboards today can be stained to a variety of colors.

Bamboo flooring vs. Oak floors: which is more durable?

The hardness of a flooring surface is a factor in its durability and how well it can resist wear. Hardness is rated on the Janka hardness scale, which measures the force required to embed a small steel ball halfway into a plank of wood.
 

Oak is among the harder of flooring surfaces – Red Oak has a Janka rating of 1290, and White Oak has a rating of 1360. While there are hundreds of different types of Bamboo, the kinds used most often for flooring have a Janka hardness rating of around 1300 to 1400.

That makes Bamboo flooring hardness on par with or slightly denser than Oak. Additionally, both Bamboo and White Oak have excellent moisture-resistant properties. Red Oak is slightly more susceptible to water damage.
 

The sustainability factor

Bamboo is considered a highly sustainable resource, as many species can reach full height in just 3 to 5 years. In comparison, it can take 20 to 30 years for an Oak tree to mature. However, making floors from Bamboo requires a great deal of energy as the stocks of grass are sliced, shredded and compressed back together with a resin-based adhesive that is not completely environment friendly. Additionally, because most Bamboo production takes place in Asia, a great deal of energy must be expended to ship the product to the US. In contrast, solid Oak floorboards require no chemical resins or glues and are harvested much closer to home, reducing the environmental impact of shipping. In the end, the difference in sustainability between Bamboo flooring vs. Oak may not be all that substantial.

The lifespan of Bamboo flooring vs. Oak floors

A well-maintained Oak floor can last 100 years or more. As it is a newer product, the longevity of Bamboo floors is less well-known. The hard, top surface layer of a Bamboo floorboard is relatively thin, so it can’t be sanded and refinished as often as a solid Oak floorboard. The lifespan of a Bamboo floor is thought to be roughly 20 to 25 years.

Quality control in Bamboo flooring vs. Oak

As an established product, Oak hardwood floors offer comprehensive quality control. Homeowners who purchase Oak floors will have an excellent idea about the grade, color, moisture content and appearance of their floor. On the other hand, Bamboo is not usually rated in any kind of official way that guarantees the quality of the product. Homeowners may never know exactly what they’re getting with Bamboo boards, adding a measure of risk to the process of designing floors with Bamboo.

Bamboo flooring vs. Oak: which takes stain better?

Unfinished Red Oak flooring or White Oak flooring have a porous quality that makes staining these surfaces quite easy. Red Oak and White Oak floorboards can be stained to virtually any color to serve the needs of your interior design. While certain types of Bamboo can also be stained easily, others are less porous and will require more work to get an even stain. Bamboo floors are only sold as a prefinished option so you will have to choose from a manufacturers existing palette of colors.

Is Bamboo or Oak easier to clean?

There’s not much difference in the effort required to clean Bamboo flooring vs. Oak floors. Both Bamboo and Oak can be easily cleaned by sweeping, vacuuming and gently mopping. You should never use waxes or wax-based cleaners on Bamboo flooring, however.

Comparing costs

When considering Bamboo flooring cost vs hardwood cost, Bamboo is usually slightly less expensive. Oak is among the least expensive of hardwood species for flooring, and Bamboo floors may usually be sourced for less than the cost of Oak. The installation costs of Bamboo vs. Oak are roughly the same.

Design your perfect floor with Carlisle

At Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, our design consultants can help you consider all the benefits of Bamboo vs hardwood floors as well as the advantages of Red Oak vs. Maple or Oak vs. Ash, for example. We’ll also help you explore all your options for color, texture, structure and pattern in your new floor. Whether you’re considering matching hardwood floors or mixed hardwood flooring, or searching for living room flooring, yoga flooring or basement flooring, a Carlisle Wide Plank Specialist will help you define your vision for your home and help you design the floor of your dreams.