Hardwood floors are beautiful and durable, but how many trees does it take to create one floor? How many years does an oak have to grow to reach maturity? Did you know that logs shrink radially and will split?  This is mostly due to the way the moisture is retained in the log. The ends of the logs lose moisture first. Wood has to be stacked in a certain way to prevent warping and must be left to dry and should be dried inside for more than a year. All this is said to give you an idea of the time needed and the trees consumed.  Does it concern you that we are emptying the forests and cannot replenish our trees in the time it takes to cut them down?

Then once installed the floor must be sanded to a fine finish then many coats of finish are applied. It is a tedious and a costly job.

This soft, luxurious shag rug is made of bamboo. Bamboo rug is a much more sensible product. While it takes an oak tree 40 to 100 years to reach maturity it takes bamboo just 3 to 5. Bamboo trees absorb carbon dioxide releasing 35% more back into the environment than a comparable group of hardwood trees.

Bamboo rugs and mats are created with 80% bamboo and 20% cotton; joined together to produce a rug that is durable, soft, silky, beautiful and easy to maintain. They are naturally hypo-allergenic not shedding like most rugs do. These natural fibers are 100% environmentally friendly and luxurious to see and touch.

Bamboo rugs come in an assortment of styles. Take this bamboo mat, which is equally attractive outside or in. It is eye-catching, durable and easy to maintain. These bamboo mats come in a large variety of styles, sizes, and colors and there is sure to be one which will complement the décor in your home.

Can you believe that this chocolate brown shag carpet is made of 80% bamboo? The luxurious shag rug will cradle your feet as you walk across your floor. You will soon want this carpeting throughout your home.

Bamboo is a grass and does not need to be replanted. It also grows very well and does not require pesticides.

Bamboo is grown in many third world countries and the product means a lot to those who depend upon its growth and manufacture for their livelihood. Some facts to be aware of when considering bamboo flooring:

• The darker bamboo looks very similar to black walnut and the lighter bamboo resembles maple.
• The darker bamboo is made dark by applying heat.
• The lighter flooring does not go through the heating to darken it and consists of stronger product.
• If it is described as “vertical” it represents strips laid on their sides to create the look of long narrow rows of wood.
• Engineered bamboo flooring is not totally bamboo. It is constructed of layers of bamboo and is actually more stable than pure bamboo and will resist cupping from humidity.
• Stranded bamboo floors are made up of fibers shredded and blended with an adhesive and then pressure treated. The density of this type of flooring makes it the most durable of all bamboo floors but the hardest type to install.