Does Bamboo Floor Shrink Or Expand More Than Wood Flooring

You might think this makes bamboo flooring impervious to water but that s not the case.

Does bamboo floor shrink or expand more than wood flooring.

Engineered hardwood floors can be used anywhere as they are built to withstand moisture and not swell on contact. Although it is commonly grouped with hardwood flooring bamboo is not actually a wood but rather a woody grass. Engineered bamboo floors are the same and can also be used below grade. If you re concerned about formaldehyde you should ask that about any building material especially engineered wood floors.

Engineered flooring which is attached to the subfloor. This is a natural process for bamboo and wooden flooring and occurs seasonally with temperature and humidity changes. The softest bamboo floors are typically much harder than oak. Bamboo in general is slightly more resistant to both moisture and mold than hardwoods.

It is the top non engineered wood ish floor product for dimensional stability. As bamboo is a natural product it will absorb any humidity in the air and start to expand. Which over time could result in shrinkage warping buckling and even cracking. Bamboo a native plant to tropical regions with heavy rainfalls grows much faster than hardwood and has a different cellular structure.

The fact is that bamboo is a perfectly serviceable material with the same available finishes as on wood and the same wear guarantees as wood. While bamboo flooring is more water resistant than traditional hardwood floors steam mops can destabilize wood and even bamboo cellular structures. If the flooring is installed in a very humid climate the moisture in the air can cause the floor planks to swell and buckle while in a dry environment the planks can shrink.