And it is, in fact, often grouped together under the general category of “solid-hardwood” flooring.
But amid these similarities are some key differences that set these two flooring choices apart.
You might think this makes bamboo flooring impervious to water, but that’s not the case.
Margot Cavin / The Spruce
Unsealed bamboo can be discolored and damaged by water, just like hardwood.
This includes most conifer trees with seed cones in which the seeds are fully exposed.
Wood is commonly measured by a test known as the Janka Hardness Test.
Margot Cavin / The Spruce
This involves pressing a steel ball into the wood and measuring how deeply the ball dents the wood.
This is compounded by the fact that different cuts also produce different levels of grain consistency.
Because of this, hardwood gives you more freedom to choose exactly the look that you want.
Margot Cavin / The Spruce
Bamboo, on the other hand, has a narrower range of diversity.
Bamboo is all-naturalit can be recycled and is biodegradable.
However, there are also environmental drawbacks of bamboo.
The Spruce
It is generally grown in Southeast Asia and therefore requires significant energy expenditure to get it to certain locations.
Thus, the materials used take far longer to regenerate.
But a single tree provides a substantial amount of workable lumber.
Therefore, you never know quite what you are getting when you purchase bamboo flooring.
It is also harder to ensure that bamboo products are sourced in a socially and environmentally responsible way.
Chaowana K, Wisadsatorn S, Chaowana P.Bamboo as a Sustainable Building MaterialCulm Characteristics and Properties.Sustainability.
