Bamboo Flooring VS. Other Flooring Types

Strand woven bamboo is exceptionally resistant to denting, so it won’t be damaged even by heavy furniture. Resistance to the denting of wood can be assessed using the Janka Hardness rating. We determine this by measuring the force in pounds needed to drive a small steel ball with a diameter of 11.28 mm halfway into the wood. Gabriel Janka devised the test to assess what kinds of wood are suitable for flooring. Strand woven bamboo has a higher Janka rating than any hardwood and is up to three times harder than solid oak. On a scale of 1 to 10 for resistance to denting, it achieves a maximum score of 10.

There is no denying that polished concrete is hard, even harder than bamboo, and will never dent even with the heaviest furniture. Some people consider it to be too hard for comfort. If you drop anything breakable on it, it is entirely unforgiving. And falling on it is no fun at all. However, regarding resistance to denting, we award it full marks of 10 out of 10.

Bamboo is one of the most sustainable building materials on the planet. Self-regenerating and fast-growing bamboo plantations improve the environment rather than harming it. It has a fantastic carbon capture profile, too, as it absorbs five times more carbon dioxide than a tree and pumps out 35% more oxygen. Because bamboo flooring doesn’t need much water, it doesn’t even deplete the planet’s precious water reserves. Also, it is naturally resistant to pests, thus eliminating the need to use pesticides. Bamboo’s eco-friendliness rating is 10 out of 10.

Polished concrete is more eco-friendly than you might think. We know that producing concrete creates a great deal of carbon dioxide and that the concrete industry produces 5% of human-made greenhouse gas emissions. However, most polished concrete floors are made from the concrete used to build the dwelling, so a polished concrete floor uses no new materials apart from the products used to harden, polish, and color it. While not being quite as environmentally friendly as bamboo, it gains 9 out of 10 points.

The air quality in our homes and workplaces can hurt our health and is affected by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from our homes’ fabric. These pollutants can be particularly damaging to people with asthma and other respiratory problems. We can do many things to improve the air quality in our homes. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises protecting indoor air quality in your home.

Of course, the best way is to avoid materials susceptible to off-gassing and replace them with materials that don’t produce pollutants. Fortunately, bamboo flooring produces very few, if any, contaminants. The only pollutant emitter is the small amount of adhesive used in its manufacture. Because of this, its overall score for indoor air quality is 9 out of 10.

Polished concrete is also an extremely low emitter of VOCs. None is emitted by the concrete, though some are emitted by the hardening agents used to prepare the concrete for polishing and the various stains used to color it. As with bamboo, it also scores 9 out of 10 for air quality.

Bamboo flooring feels naturally warm underfoot, even on a cold day. That’s because it doesn’t drain away from the heat from your body. If you think back to when you took science in high school, they probably tried to teach you about the second law of thermodynamics, which says that heat always flows from a warm body to a cold one and never the other way round. That’s what’s happening when you step onto a floor that is colder than you are. But there is another factor: the speed at which heat flows from a warm body to a cold one. When the thermal resistance is high, heat flows slowly; when it is low, heat flows quickly. Now, the thermal resistance of bamboo is very high, so heat flows into it very slowly, which is why it feels warm to the touch—enough science for now. In a nutshell, bamboo scores 9 out of 10 for comfort for walking.

Step onto a polished concrete floor barefoot in the early morning, and it feels like it could freeze your toes off. As we describe above, this is because its thermal resistance is meager, and it rapidly drains away from the heat from your body. Brrrrr – positively icy – it scores just three points out of 10 for comfort for walking.

Bamboo is water-resistant, but it isn’t waterproof. As long as you clean up puddles within 24 hours, they will leave no trace behind. But if your bamboo floor is subject to frequent contact with water, such as in a shower room, it may show signs of swelling, which is precisely why we don’t recommend it for such applications. In normal use, however, it is unlikely there will be any problems. For water resistance, we give it 8 out of 10.

Polished concrete is so highly water-resistant that you can even use it in your pool. In fact, it’s completely waterproof. You can’t get better than that; it scores the full 10 out of 10.

Bamboo flooring is a steal. You can get much-sought-after wide planks at a much lower cost than hardwood wide planks and expect to only pay from $3 to $5 a square foot from stores online. The bonus is that it looks just as good as hardwood but is three times harder and is eco-friendly. It scores 9 out of 10.

Most polished concrete floors use existing concrete floors, so the price depends entirely on the relatively complicated polishing process. Naturally, if you need to lay down a new concrete layer, it will cost more. The price also depends on the area as there are certain fixed costs you will have to pay. Typically, prices vary from $4 a square foot up to $8 a square foot, though you can spend more on elegant finishes. Pricewise, is similar to bamboo flooring, so it also gets 9 out of 10.

Bamboo is a fast-growing grass and a member of the Poaceae family of true grasses. Large Bamboos look very much like trees and are often referred to as “bamboo trees,” though they are grasses. Whatever you want to call it, there is no disputing that it is entirely natural. If you are looking for environmentally friendly, natural flooring material, you can’t do better than bamboo; it scores 10 out of 10.

Of course, concrete isn’t organic. However, it does use natural and abundant materials. As we have pointed out, manufacturing concrete is harmful to the environment, though most polished concrete floors use the same structural concrete that forms the existing subfloors. After much deliberation and discussion, we award it a score of 5 out of 10 for this comparison.

As you are now aware, bamboo is grass rather than hardwood. So, unlike wood, it doesn’t have growth rings. Woodgrain is created by the growth rings, which occur due to the variation in wood color and texture produced by differences in its seasonal growth. However, bamboo is fibrous in nature, and this provides it with a beautiful natural grain that is different from hardwood yet looks and feels at least as good. You will never find two identical bamboo planks, so every bamboo floor is unique. We score it 10 out of 10.

You can produce a wide variety of finishes to a polished concrete floor and create large areas without repeating patterns. But, as attractive as they are, they entirely lack any natural variation. Because you can create a concrete floor devoid of repeating patterns, it scores 5 out of 10 in this category.

One of the attractions of bamboo flooring is that anyone with reasonable DIY skills should install it easily. There are several different options, and you will find detailed instructions for those options here. It is essential to ensure the integrity of the subfloor, and the guide covers this too. If you would prefer not to do it yourself, there will be no difficulty in locating a qualified installer who can do the job at a reasonable price. For ease of installation, we award it 8 out of 10.

If you have a concrete subfloor, you should be able to polish the surface yourself. However, this can be a little difficult, and most people would prefer using a specialist contractor. If you need to pour additional concrete before polishing, it isn’t usually a job you can do yourself; you will also need to let it sit for several days before you can start polishing it. Overall, we award it 6 out of 10 for ease of installation.

Maintaining a bamboo floor is relatively easy and requires little more than usual housecleaning procedures. There may be times when your bamboo flooring requires a little extra maintenance, and this guide provides a link to detailed instructions on doing so. But as long as you clean regularly and use felt pads under sharp furniture legs, there should be no problems. For ease of maintenance, it scores 8 out of 10.

Polished concrete flooring is also easy to maintain and requires little more than standard house cleaning. However, in high traffic areas, it may lose its shine and need specialist attention. It is essential to avoid over-acidic or alkaline floor cleaners, which may damage the surface finish. We also give it 8 out of 10 for ease of maintenance.

We hope that the above information helps you eliminate another possibility. We have nothing against polished concrete floors; they can look great. But, let’s face it, in most respects, bamboo floors are better. The choice, however, is yours to make.

Bamboo: 91 points

Polished Concrete: 74 points

Bamboo flooring, especially strand woven bamboo flooring, is extremely resistant to denting. That’s hardly surprising since it’s at least three times harder and more resilient than real oak flooring. You can comfortably rest even heavy furniture on bamboo flooring without worrying about denting the floorboards. Many customer reviews on the web even show that you can confidently strut across this floor in high-heeled shoes and that it’s the only hardwood that cannot be permanently grooved by pet claws, it seems to be extremely resistant to wear and tear from heavy traffic. Here, we talk about the Janka hardness of bamboo and recommend reading it for more information on why strand woven bamboo is so hard. We score it 10 out of 10.

Laminate flooring is tough and withstands heavy traffic as well as heavy loads. The durability of laminate floors is assessed by their AC (Abrasion Criteria) rating. While this isn’t the same as hardness, they are closely related. Laminate flooring is available with AC ratings of 1 to 5:

• AC1 – poor resistance; only use in rooms that have occasional use, such as guest bedrooms
• AC2 – can withstand light to moderate footfall
• AC3 – fine for moderate footfall, for instance, living rooms
• AC4 – heavy domestic footfall and light commercial use
• AC5 – The safest choice for all domestic and commercial settings

Thus, it is important to check out the AC rating before installing laminate flooring, or you may well end up disappointed with its wear characteristics. We give it 8 out of 10 for hardness.

Nowadays, most people are, to some extent, concerned about the environment. There is now more than enough evidence that damaging the environment can have catastrophic consequences to our planet’s climate. Storms, hurricanes, flooding, heatwaves, devastating forest fires, and record life-threatening cold snaps are all the direct results of the environmental choices we make.

There is, however, no doubt that one of the most beneficial choices we can make is to use bamboo flooring. Bamboo, a grass, grows prolifically, reaching maturity for harvest in just five years. After harvesting, the plant naturally regenerates to come along five years later and pre-harvest it. There are many advantages to choosing bamboo flooring. We don’t need to use environmentally damaging pesticides, it doesn’t erode the soil, and it doesn’t even use much water. Its environmental credentials are impeccable. For eco-friendliness, we give it 10 out of 10.

Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about laminate flooring. It is not nearly as eco-friendly as bamboo, though it does have some positive environmental aspects. The bulk of laminate flooring is made from wood fibers derived mainly from recycled wood fiber and chips, which means that no new trees are used in the process. We can also recycle laminate floors. However, there are some aspects of laminate flooring that are not environmentally friendly. For instance, melamine resin is used in its manufacturing, and melamine resin is made from formaldehyde, a toxic, carcinogenic chemical. For eco-friendliness, laminate flooring scores 6 out of 10.

There is nothing quite like the sound of a bamboo forest; check out the video below.

We recommend you read what the US Protection Agency says about indoor air. Be warned, though; you might be a little shocked about what they have to say. Fortunately, they provide some excellent guidance on what we can do to improve air quality in our homes. The main culprit is VOC or Volatile Organic Compounds. Produced by off-gassing from a wide range of home products, we must do our best to minimize them.

Bamboo flooring is one of the best choices we can make for reducing VOCs in our homes. It is an entirely natural product that produces virtually no contaminants. Bamboo floors aren’t 100% VOC free; they produce a tiny amount from the adhesives used in their manufacture, but it is far better than many alternative products and passes all of the most strict indoor air standards. For indoor air quality, it gets 9 out of 10.

Laminate flooring has acquired a bad reputation for VOC emissions due to materials such as formaldehyde used in its manufacturing. Some laminate floors still do emit quantities of VOCs. However, if you shop around, you will find laminate flooring that boasts meager quantities of VOC emissions. We advise that you look at the CARB 2 compliance, which sets the limits for formaldehyde emissions. CARB stands for California Air Resources Board, and while this doesn’t apply across the US, progressively more states are adopting it, and it does make good sense.

There is nothing quite like the sound of a bamboo forest; check out the video below.

If you intend to use laminate flooring, we advise you to look at its CARB2 compliance rating. Overall, we give laminate flooring 6 out of 10 for indoor air quality.

For more information on formaldehyde, check out the video below.

Getting out of bed on a cold and frosty morning isn’t always a lot of fun, especially when the first thing your feet encounter is a cold floor. While rugs and carpets are the warmest options, bamboo flooring is also a close second and very much better than tile, polished concrete, or all those other toe-freezing alternatives. Bamboo flooring is naturally insulating, so it will never feel freezing. Walking barefoot on bamboo also feels really cool (not cold cool, just cool as in good), and you can always use a bedside rug for a little extra warmth. For comfort for walking, we give bamboo flooring 9 out of 10.

Regarding comfort for walking, there is technically little to choose between bamboo flooring and laminate. Scientifically, we can’t justify it, but it seems to feel nicer walking on bamboo than it feels walking on wood. We give it 8½ out of 10.

While most bamboo floors aren’t 100% waterproof, rigid core bamboo flooring (with spc core) comes very close, and strand bamboo floors are also very water-resistant. Bamboo flooring can tolerate water spills for up to 30 hours without suffering ill-effects. It is considerably less susceptible to water damage than traditional woods which is why many homeowners choose to use bamboo flooring throughout their homes including in their kitchens, but it is not advisable to install them in places subject to frequent wetness, such as full baths with bathtubs where the bath water may leak over the side and get under the planks. As long as you take reasonable care, you won’t encounter any problems. We rate bamboo flooring’s water resistance as 8 out of 10.

Laminate flooring is made out of fiberboard, paper, and a protective coating. While the protective coating itself is water-resistant, the bulk of the flooring isn’t. If you spill water onto a laminate floor, it will penetrate the gaps between the planks and cause the fiberboard to swell. Fiberboard acts like a sponge, soaking up the water and expanding in size. This causes severe damage, and the only cure is to replace the damaged floor. However, it is possible to find laminate flooring with claims of being waterproof. This product uses a waterproof coating to protect the grooves and underlying fiberboard. Still, even though it is more water-resistant than standard laminate, we suggest you read some reviews before committing to buy. For water resistance, laminate flooring scores 3 out of 10.

Since bamboo grows so fast and is readily available, it costs much less than traditional wood floors in the same dimensions (wide planks and long lengths). Comparing bamboo flooring to hardwood, you get a significant price advantage while enjoying all the hardwood benefits and more. For pricing, we give it 9 out of 10.

Laminate flooring is the budget option. Costing even less than bamboo, it’s a great solution for people on a tight budget. You can buy cheap laminate floors for around $0.99 per square foot, and the least expensive bamboo you will find is about $1.99 a square foot. Here’s the difference: the cheap laminate is manufactured so that you will have to replace the entire floor in as little as 10 years. Compare that to the cheap bamboo, which can still be sanded and refinished just like a hardwood floor. And for that extra dollar per square foot, you’re looking at floors that will last a lifetime. As one of the most affordable of all flooring options, laminate deserves your consideration. For pricing, we give it 10 out of 10.

Bamboo flooring has a natural variation in the grain. Every bamboo flooring plank is uniquely different from every other and strand bamboo flooring has a unique marbled grain that sets it apart from other hardwoods. This is one of the main reasons a bamboo floor looks so great. Some bamboo flooring options look just like hardwood, while others have a different appearance; there are many to choose from. But all look entirely natural, stylish, and sumptuous. For natural variation in the grain, bamboo flooring scores 10 out of 10.

There are some great looking laminate floors. Manufacturers have developed various methods to emulate the look of hardwood, such as embossing it with a textured finish to make it appear even more like the hardwood it imitates. But ultimately, it is an imitation. Look at a laminate floor closely, and you will see repeated patterns on the planks. While it depends on the manufacturer, expect to see woodgrain patterns repeated every 8 to 20 planks. While that might not be a problem for you, once you notice it, it does tend to compromise the illusion that the flooring is natural. For natural variation in the grain, laminate gets 2 out of 10.

Bamboo flooring is highly versatile. You can glue it down, nail it down, or float it over the subfloor. You will find all the information you need for installing a bamboo floor in our blog. If you are reasonably skilled at DIY, you might choose to lay it yourself. Otherwise, it would help if you used a qualified floor installer. If you choose to do it yourself, be sure to follow the manufacturers’ guidelines and don’t try to take any shortcuts on steps such as subfloor preparation and acclimating the bamboo planks before laying them. For ease of installation, bamboo flooring scores 8 out of 10.

Laminate flooring is easy to install, but it can only be floated on the subfloor; there are no options for nailing or gluing it down, and you must use an underlay. Again, the talk should be in the capability of a reasonably skilled DIY enthusiast, or else you should use a qualified fitter. For ease of installation, it scores 9 out of 10, just a little easier than bamboo.

Looking after your bamboo floor or laminate floor is simple and uses basic common sense. There is little difference between laminate and bamboo for ease of maintenance. Sweep them regularly, use a proprietary cleaner once a week, and mop up any spills as soon as they occur (though there is more leeway with bamboo). The big no-no is steam mopping; neither bamboo nor laminate flooring will take kindly to a steam mop. Here is more on maintaining a bamboo floor, but you can also apply the principles to laminate floors.

Laminate flooring is easy to install, but it can only be floated on the subfloor; there are no options for nailing or gluing it down, and you must use an underlay. Again, the talk should be in the capability of a reasonably skilled DIY enthusiast, or else you should use a qualified fitter. For ease of installation, it scores 9 out of 10, just a little easier than bamboo.

Hopefully, you won’t have to scratch your head any longer. It seems that although laminate flooring wins on price and is a little easier to install, it doesn’t quite live up to real bamboo flooring. Laminate flooring can look natural until you look hard, but bamboo is entirely natural, and the difference is telling.

Bamboo: 91 points

Solid Laminate: 67 ½ points

As we have frequently pointed out in this blog, the hardness of bamboo floors is legendary. With a Janka Hardness rating of over 4000, strand woven bamboo is two to three times harder than most hardwoods. Thus it is highly resistant to denting, so you can put heavy furniture on bamboo flooring without causing any damage. Knowing you have a floor that is as tough as bamboo takes away that worry. Of course, you shouldn’t throw all caution to the wind. For instance, if you plan to place a grand piano on your floor, we recommend using felt pads. But as there is no wooden floor as hard as bamboo, we give it maximum marks of 10 out of 10.

One of the less desirable carpet features is its susceptibility to denting; heavy furniture or dining chairs will inevitably create dents. If you like to change your interior design occasionally, then those unsightly dents left by your sofa will stand out and compromise your style. Dents are the result of pile compression, a subject that is still being investigated by scientists. Many factors are involved, but not all carpet dents are irreversible. Often, they will recover at least partially over time. There are also many ways of improving them; some recommend ice cubes, while others recommend using a steam iron, as in our video below. But that’s a lot of effort, and the dents rarely disappear completely. We can only award carpet two out of 10, and that’s being generous.

Bamboo flooring is known to be the eco-friendliest of all types of flooring. Because it’s grass, there is no reason to dig up the roots and disturb the environment. Also, because it matures in just five years, you can return and harvest it again five years later. No pesticides or fertilizers are needed; it is an entirely natural growth process. It thoroughly deserves an eco-friendliness rating of 10 out of 10.

Carpeting generally hurts the environment, especially when you consider that in the US, people purchase over a billion square yards of it every year – more than enough to carpet New York. At the end of its life, it usually ends up in landfills where we can’t recycle it. Although more eco-friendly carpet options are available, over 90% are made of plastic derived from oil. Alternatives, such as pure wool, are costly. As one of the least eco-friendly flooring options, we give it a rating of just 2 out of 10.

Indoor air quality has a big impact on people’s health. Often, there are five to 10 times more pollutants inside homes than in the external environment. One of the major pollutants is volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, emitted by the materials we have in our homes. Some of these, including formaldehyde, are thought to be carcinogenic.

Bamboo floors are one of the best floors you can get for indoor air quality. The only exception is engineered bamboo, where small amounts of UF adhesives are used during manufacturing. Overall, we rate bamboo indoor air quality 9 out of 10.

Carpet is a notorious emitter of VOCs. These chemicals are emitted from the carpet, adhesives, and the carpet underlay. Typical health problems associated with new carpet installations are:

• Fatigue
• Coughing and shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Skin irritation
• Throat, eye, and nose problems

But even old carpets continue to produce lower levels of VOCs. These lurk in deep dust, which eventually rises to become surface dust. Children who play and crawl on the floor could be at risk. The upside is that formaldehyde is no longer used in manufacturing carpet, but even at best, carpet is rated 2 out of 10. Incidentally, carpet is also bad news for people with allergies, as it tends to harbor mites, dust, and other microscopic irritants.

Bamboo flooring is warm to the touch. Just like hardwood, it is a great thermal insulator, so it will always feel cozy, even when you first get up in the morning. Bamboo flooring feels so nice to walk on, so we award it 9 out of 10.

Regarding comfort for walking, not all carpets are the same. To get the best from a comfortable carpet, you also need a comfortable underlay, which also significantly increases the cost. However, there is no getting away from it; carpet is even more comfortable for walking, and it’s warmer underfoot than bamboo. Hence, it scores top marks of 10 out of 10.

Bamboo flooring is more water-resistant than hardwood flooring, though it would be wrong to call it waterproof. If you mop up any spills within 20 hours, there shouldn’t be a problem. But if you leave pools of water for much longer than that, some staining and swelling are likely to result. Thus, we advise you not to install bamboo floors in bathrooms or other places where it might be in frequent contact with water. Thus we give it a water-resistance score of 8 out of 10.

If you have ever smelled a wet carpet, you will agree that it smells very much like a wet dog – not very pleasant. The problem is that even after the carpet dries, the odor tends to persist. Often, water passes through the carpet and is absorbed by the underlay; Since underlay is difficult to remove, it can result in unhealthy molds and mildew. Although there are treatments available for dealing with the smell, they are often only partially effective and can worsen. In a nutshell, water and carpets don’t go well together. We give it a water resistance rating of just 2 out of 10.

Regarding price, there is very little difference between bamboo and carpet. There are some costly carpet options, but for the kind of carpeting most of us would install in our homes, the price is a little less than bamboo. But given that bamboo, at $4 to $7 a square foot, costs much less than hardwood, both carpet and bamboo are affordable. Carpet marginally has the edge; we will score bamboo 9 out of 10 and carpet 10 out of 10.

As we have indicated already, bamboo is a natural and sustainable material. You can’t get more natural than bamboo, so we give it 10 out of 10.

Some carpet is natural and uses natural fibers such as seagrass, sisal, coir, and wool, but 90% of carpet is anything but natural. That is unless you include oil in your list of natural ingredients. All the carpet we use is made from oil-derived plastics such as nylon, polypropylene, and polyester. Recently-introduced carpets are made from recycled plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the jury is still out on whether PET carpet fibers are safe. They may not be. Overall, the carpet has a natural material rating of 2 out of 10.

Like hardwood flooring, bamboo has an individual grain pattern where every plank is unique, each with its distinctive grain pattern, color, and tone. These features can be used with excellent effect when installing a bamboo floor over a large area. By working from several boxes of planks simultaneously, you can achieve a gorgeous natural variation across the complete area. It richly deserves a natural rating of 10 out of 10.

There is nothing natural about the appearance of the carpet. You can certainly get some exciting textures, colors, and patterns, but if your style is natural, then avoid carpet. We give it a natural rating of 2 out of 10.

Bamboo flooring is easy to install; t can be nailed down, glued down, and floated. Anyone with average DIY skills should be able to do a great job, but, of course, you need to make sure you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. We recommend you read ours. Installation does require some care, so we rate it at 8 out of 10.

Carpet is even easier to install than bamboo. You will need some special tools to install wall-to-wall carpet, but the installation process is straightforward once you have them. If you are carpeting a large area, you will need two people; carpets can be heavy to handle. But really, it isn’t too difficult; we give it an ‘ease of installation’ rating of 10 out of 10.

Maintaining a bamboo floor is easy. Vacuum it regularly to keep hairs, dirt, and dust off the surface and soak up any spills as soon as you see them. You can clean the floor using most bamboo or hardwood floor cleaners; avoid wet mopping or steam mopping. For ease of maintenance, we award it 8 out of 10.

The carpet needs regular vacuuming to remove dry debris. However, typically around 15% of debris is oily. This oily deposit accumulates over time and will eventually harden and become difficult to remove. In heavily trafficked areas, this can change the color and texture of the carpet. To remove this, you need to steam clean the carpet or use a hot water extraction system with a specialist cleaner regularly. Spills can stain carpets, so you should treat all spills immediately. If there is a stain, some stain removers are effective, but you need to ensure they don’t discolor the carpet. Overall, the carpet scores 5 out of 10 for maintenance.

If you have been totaling up the scores, then you’ll know the results already. Here are our scores:

Bamboo: 91 points

Carpet: 45 points

Bamboo flooring is one of the hardest wood floors out there, and as such, it is highly resistant to denting. It can resist heavy furniture without denting and stand up to active pets and rambunctious children. The hardest bamboo option is strand woven bamboo, which is 2-3 times as hard as oak as measured on the Janka Hardness Scale. We have no hesitation in giving it 10 out of 10 for resistance to denting.

Being a ceramic material, wood-look tile is also tough and highly resistant to denting. It is difficult to compare the hardness of bamboo and wood-look tile directly as they are measured using different methods. As we have said, we measure the hardness of bamboo and other hardwoods on the Janka Hardness Scale while we measure the hardness of ceramic tiles on the PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute Abrasion Scale). Quality wood-look tile should have a PEI rating of 3 to 5; anything less would be susceptible to damage. As with bamboo, we award wood-look tile 10 out of 10 for resistance to denting.

One of the reasons for the increasing popularity of bamboo flooring is its environmental friendliness. Although a bamboo plant might look like a tree, it is indeed grass. Just as you can cut grass and it will regrow, you can cut bamboo, and it will also continue to grow. That’s why you can harvest a bamboo plantation, then leave it for a few years, typically five, and harvest it again without uprooting any plants. Doing this doesn’t damage the environment in any way or harm plants and animals. Growing bamboo is also a great way to remove carbon dioxide from the environment and counteract global warming. We score it 10 out of 10 for eco-friendliness.

Wood-look tile is also an eco-friendly material. Derived directly from the earth, it is a natural material. The only real downside is the amount of energy required to fire it in the kiln. Providing that energy from fossil fuels is certainly not good for the environment. However, many modern processes recycle that heat by using it in other industrial and agricultural processes. Thus, we score it 9 out of 10 for eco-friendliness.

Maintaining good quality air in our homes is a vital aspect of maintaining good health. Unfortunately, many of the materials we use in our homes emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause us both acute and long-term health problems. Clearly, when we can do so, it makes sense to opt for materials that don’t degrade our home environment. Bamboo floors are almost entirely free from VOCs. The only possible contaminant is the small amount of UF adhesive used in the manufacturing process of engineered bamboo flooring. However, it is a minimal amount, and these floors are still very safe. For indoor air quality, bamboo receives 9 out of 10.

Like bamboo flooring, wood-look tile doesn’t emit VOCs, although the adhesives used to fix it to the floor can be a source of indoor pollution. However, overall, it is just about equivalent to bamboo flooring, so it also gains a score of 9 out of 10.

Bamboo flooring feels nice and cozy underfoot, and that makes sense. It provides excellent thermal insulation, so it never feels cold to the touch. It is so nice to feel a bamboo floor underneath your feet, even on a cold day. Not only does it feel cozy, but it also looks cozy too, providing a warm inner glow. It gets a well-deserved 9 out of 10.

Being ceramic, wood-look tiles have high thermal conductivity, the opposite of bamboo. They feel cold to the touch because they drain heat from your body, making you feel cold. Even when a wood-look tile floor is at the same temperature as a bamboo floor, the wood-look tile floor will feel very colder. This might be a difficult concept to understand, so check out our video below to describe the effect better. The bottom line is that wood-look tiles feel cold – not much fun first thing in the morning. In fact, they feel positively chilly. They score just 3 out of 10 for underfoot warmth.

Bamboo flooring has better water resistance than hardwood and is much less likely to be damaged by spills. But it’s essential to dry up any spills when you discover them, and certainly not leave them there for over a day. Leaving a spill for that length of time will likely result in swelling and leaving a stain. While this bodes against installing bamboo flooring in areas such as bathrooms where the floor is expected to get wet frequently, it is sufficiently water-resistant for most purposes, so it scores 8 out of 10.

Wood-look tiles are highly water-resistant; they are one of the most water-resistant flooring materials available. You can safely install them in bathrooms, kitchens, and even outdoors and around pools. They deservedly score 10 out of 10 for water resistance.

Square yard by square yard, bamboo flooring, and wood-look tiles are similarly priced. Expect to pay between $4 and $7 a square foot. This price is significantly less than that for hardwood tiles. Regarding availability, both options are readily available for fast delivery — both score 9 out of 10.

As we’ve already noted, bamboo is a grass and is an entirely organic and natural material. Granted, some unnatural products are used in the production process, but the bamboo planks you nail or glue to your floor are 100 percent natural. It scores 10 out of 10 for naturalness.

The raw materials used to manufacture wood-look tiles include clays, refined minerals, and chemical additives. These clays and other minerals are combined and pulverized using a variety of mills and other machines. The crushed materials are separated into various particle sizes, and glass materials are added to provide water resistance and decorative features. Next, the tiles are formed using dry pressing at pressures up to 2,500 tons or using extrusion and punching. They are then carefully dried using heaters or microwaves, and the surface is sprayed or printed with various glazes. Finally, the tiles are fired in a kiln. Typically, the firing temperature is around 2,100 to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, and the process can take several days. While tiles do use natural clays, they are an entirely synthetic product. On a scale of one to 10, wood-look tiles score just a single point for organic naturalness.

Bamboo flooring has a beautiful, natural variation in the grain pattern, which creates a stunning effect, especially over large areas. In fact, this natural variation is one of the main reasons people choose bamboo. Every board is unique, and no two bamboo floors are the same. Your bamboo floor will be individual to you. It achieves 10 out of 10.

While the finish provided by wood-look tiles is undoubtedly attractive, there are finishes available that emulate just about any wood. They do it well too, and at first glance, you can easily mistake them for a genuine article. However, once you look more closely, you will soon make out the repeating patterns that betray the fact that they are synthetic. They don’t look as good as real bamboo, but they do gain 6 out of 10 for their look and feel.

Bamboo flooring is hardwood flooring, so it’s installed just like traditional hardwoods. While it isn’t 100% child’s play, if you are reasonably dexterous and want to install it yourself, you shouldn’t encounter too many problems. Of course, you can always hire a handyman, carpenter, or professional floor installer for a reasonable price. There are three different ways that hardwood and bamboo floors are installed:

• Nail down
• Glue down
• Floating

For more information on this, please follow the links to our installation guides. And if you don’t want to do it yourself, there is no shortage of professional installers you can call on. For ease of installation, we report an 8 out of 10.

Installing a wood look tile floor can be quite tricky for anyone without any previous experience in laying floor tiles, so unless you are an experienced DIY enthusiast, it may be a job better left to the professionals. However, if you wish to do it yourself, the necessary steps include: 1) Ensure you have a solid underfloor 2) Lay down a substrate such as an uncoupling membrane using thin-set mortar 3) Allow the thin-set to cure fully 4) Lay down the tiles using another layer of thin-set mortar and allow to cure 5) Grout the gaps between the tiles 6) Seal the grouting to avoid future stains Somewhat more difficult than bamboo, it receives 6 out of 10 for ease of installation.

Bamboo floors are easy to maintain – exactly like most hardwood floors. It would help if you cleaned them regularly to avoid the build-up of grit and other debris that could scratch the surface. We recommend weekly sweeping or vacuuming followed by mopping with a lightly damp mop. Avoid excess water, and do not steam mop or wet mop hardwood or bamboo! It would help if you wiped up any spills when they occur using an absorbent cloth. Really, this is a simple, common-sense, uncomplicated cleaning regimen. We give it 8 out of 10 for ease of maintenance.

Wood-look tile floors are easy to maintain, even easier than bamboo. They need regular vacuuming or sweeping, possibly with a rubber broom if you have pets. Mopping them every week will keep them looking good. We suggest you use a neutral cleaner and avoid bleaches or anything abrasive. Since it is slightly easier to maintain than bamboo, it receives 9 out of 10.

As you have seen, there are pros and cons for both types of floors. However, bamboo flooring has the edge, with the final scores being:

Bamboo: 91 points

Wood Look Tile: 72 points