Bamboo: Panda Bears Like It

August 2, 2005
By: Allen Shaw

When I first heard that hardwood floors can be built out of bamboo as well as the more popular oak and pine, the first thought that raced through my mind was Gilligan's Island. Why would anyone want to have a floor made out of bamboo? It would not be very flat. Just bamboo poles lined up across the floor. Wouldn't it be hard to stand up in the room?

However, in reality, bamboo floors are one of the oldest forms of hardwood floors in existence. Bamboo as a building material has been used for thousands of years throughout Asia and its calm, white/gold color adds a sense of serenity to any room.

Though bamboo behaves like a wood, it is actually a grass. Cutting it does not harm the ecosystem. Being a grass instead of a wood like oak or pine, it is a renewable and sustainable building material. Because of its quick regeneration rate, if it is not harvested every five-to-ten years, it will atrophy.

Bamboo is not just another building product. It has a long history in Eastern philosophy. A 13th century Chinese Poet Pou Sou-tung said it best," A meal should have meat, but a home must have bamboo. Without meat we become thin, but without bamboo we lose serenity and culture itself."

So, in a world of stress-filled days and constant concern about the ecosystem, bamboo is quickly becoming the flooring material of choice for eco-minded consumers. Just don't invite a Panda Bear over for dinner. A Panda Bear's diet consists mainly of bamboo and they eat the grass for up to 12 hours a day.

For more information about bamboo floors or related products, choose from one of the following:

Bamboo Flooring | Wood Flooring