I am considering bamboo flooring to replace all of the carpet in my house. Will these floors eventually have the same classic appeal as hardwood or are they just a trend? My house is a 2004, 1 story, 2000 sq. ft. house. I want to put the bamboo in the living /dining and bedrooms, with tile flooring in kitchen, entry, baths & utility. I am considering distressed dark bamboo. My dad said don't get bamboo and acted like he hasn't heard of it. My brother says get the bamboo, but are most buyers (if I sell in 5 years) going to hate the bamboo and not really put it on the same level as hardwood??? Would you???

Bamboo flooring is not a fad. It is not a wood, but a grass. While it has the look of real wood, it is environmentally friendly as bamboo grows rapidly and is a renewable resource.

i would use bamboo because it's new and different, but i'm not sure how 'sturdy' it is compared to hardwood, being a quick growing grass. Maybe someone has a web link that compares the flooring.
Good question.

Bamboo will be a classic because it is a viable alternative to hardwood. Since hardwood forests are endangered, new sources of "hard" flooring needed to be discovered- and bamboo looks like it is the new replacement.

I am in the process of renovating and just read an article in a magazine at Lowes about the newest trends in countertops, and Bamboo was one of them. I realize that a countertop is not the same as a floor, but I thought I would mention. The only thing that I've heard negative about Bamboo flooring is that it is not as durable. A friend of mine has it and loves it, but she doesn't wear high heel shoes on it. Other than that I think it's beautiful.

In my humble opinion, if you are going to live with it for at least 5 years and YOU love it, than I would say go for it! As with everything, it's a personal preference and buyers may or may not feel the same as you do, but at least you have enjoyed it. I have personally ripped out the carpet and/or covered up the flooring of a house, but still purchased the place because I loved the space. I don't think it will make or break a future sale.

The plus thing about Bamboo is that it is a 'green' product and that trend seems to only being gaining momentum.

I did a Yahoo Search: bamboo flooring durability
and a bunch of interesting things came up.
Good Luck!

Do the bamboo! I would love to have bamboo flooring. It's an updated look that will work with most decors. I don't think it's just a fad.

Have you considered cork? There is some absolutely fabulous cork out there, and it looks good when paired with bamboo.

We saw a modern home last spring on the Parade of Homes. It had bamboo in the main rooms, and the bedrooms and study were cork. It was amazing.

We redid on of our basement bedrooms in cork, and it is absolutely stunning! (It also springs back and doesn't get permanent dents in it.)

i'm the old fashioned wood floor type person and that is my personal choice over EVERYTHING that is out there these days....and you just can't get it anymore....nothing compares to it...

I replaced carpet along a hallway and stairs with bamboo a year ago. I got the stuff at Costco and installed it myself. It looks great but is somewhat softer than hardwood. I don't see it becoming dated anymore than hardwood. I saw the same product used as a counter top in a business, it looked good but reminded me of my floor.

You can't go wrong with Bamboo. It will stand the test of time!

http://db.mydesignsecrets.com/product/view/175

quote:

Originally posted by coolsavvy1:
I am considering bamboo flooring to replace all of the carpet in my house. Will these floors eventually have the same classic appeal as hardwood or are they just a trend? My house is a 2004, 1 story, 2000 sq. ft. house. I want to put the bamboo in the living /dining and bedrooms, with tile flooring in kitchen, entry, baths & utility. I am considering distressed dark bamboo. My dad said don't get bamboo and acted like he hasn't heard of it. My brother says get the bamboo, but are most buyers (if I sell in 5 years) going to hate the bamboo and not really put it on the same level as hardwood??? Would you???

I don't think bamboo is a fad. However I also don't think that the natural color is a "classic" about 5 to 10 years ago the "in" thing was to have natural light wood flooring now people are reverting back to mid to darker tone wood flooring that's the "in" thing now. I always associated the natural bamboo with looking too contemporary until about a month ago I went to look at some w/my best friend as she was considering using bamboo in her new house, we saw it stained in rich darker tones and it had the same classic look as hardwood it was gorgeous. I'm still a wood floor kind of girl but if money was an issue and I wanted the look of classic wood flooring I'd definitely go with the stained bamboo it was so pretty. Lumber Liquidators has it on their site if you want to see it stained. As for Cork while being "green" I think that is going to look dated in 10 years give or take a few years. I'm not a fan of it at all.

While I love the look of Bamboo, I think it is trendy. I prefer hardwood.

For me the verdict is still out, when it comes to bamboo flooring.

It is "green", and very popular right now.

There are different grades - some are much less durable - so watch that.

It has a clean, modern look.

But as far as being "classic" - no.

If your house is contemporary in style, the look of bamboo is better suited.

If you have a traditional style home I wouldn't do it.

quote:

I am considering bamboo flooring to replace all of the carpet in my house. Will these floors eventually have the same classic appeal as hardwood or are they just a trend?

Good question. Personally, I'd go with a sustainable product but my personal preference would be a reclaimed hardwood (if I could afford it.) I know the "bamboo" and "green" and "renewable" are all catch words used to phrase why we should use bamboo in everything from our wash cloths to our flooring -- but at the point when I open a catalog and see every single item having "some" % of bamboo... I have to wonder with our hoggish ways if we can't out-use even a fast growing grass like bamboo if we don't put some restriction on it - or, at least mix it up with other products.

That said, a huge buying point for me in flooring (and other features of a home) is reclaimed products. HGTV had a home on (forgot which show) where the homeowner had used railroad ties to make furniture. It was beautiful.

No, I don't think it is a "fad" to go green.

I do think you need to be very careful changing your flooring product from living area to kitchen area if you have an open floor plan -- ideally, you'd want to keep the same product in all areas that can be seen "as one"

MHO,
Denise In TX

Here are some examples of the stained bamboo, the first is the traditional natural color that does look very contemporary the other three are stained bamboo which do have a more timeless or traditional feel to them.

Bamboo

I think they show environmental consciousness and will be a classic from our generation. Also, Lumber Liquidators is having a huge sale right now on bamboo floors!

Bamboo is definitely not a fad. Because bamboo is so quick-growing and sustainable, I think the tide will turn in the next couple of years and more people will start using it instead of of hardwood because of the Earth-friendly benefits. And the look of it tends to be very similar to hardwood, so you don't have to sacrifice the look: http://www.greenyourdecor.com/?p=97

From my own research about bamboo flooring, it holds up well compared to hardwood, particularly if it is finished properly. And I personally think it's worth it just for the benefit to the environment