Ask The Flooring Expert

Question: I may not like be the others who are really building or remodeling homes and thinking of changing or adding floors. I am in my first year in interior design, and we were all tasked to write about the benefits of bamboo floors. Since I have read all your answers to people’s questions and I found them very sensible and easy to read, I am thinking of asking you my question too. What do we get if we use bamboo floors?

Answer: It does not really matter if you are building or renovating homes and even offices. Everyone deserves to know about the different kinds of floors. You need the information to make you a much better interior designer in the future. Besides, you are going to build your own home too, and you want to make sure that you have the best flooring available.

There are a lot of homes that are actually making use of bamboo floors these days, and it is surely because of the many benefits that they have:

1. They are cheaper. Bamboo floors are definitely less expensive than the other types that are available in the market. If you are building or remodeling a home, even little savings can definitely help you go a long way.

2. They are very different. For one, bamboos are not trees but grasses. Thus, their grade, tone, and quality are completely different from hardwoods such as oak, pine, mahogany, and a lot more. You would usually find them having darker bands at their nodes. Moreover, if you want your floor to have more uniform grade and shade, this is the one that you need to choose.

3. There are a lot of bamboo styles that you can choose from. If you have engineered and laminated wooden floors, there are also different styles of bamboo floors, which then give you plenty of options. A lot of them are pre-finishes, which means all you need to do is to install them directly into your home. The more natural ones usually have lighter tones, while the darker ones are those that underwent a process called carbonization. This happens when the sugar content of the bamboo floors have been exposed to pressure and steam. Other kinds of bamboo floors that you can find include vertical, horizontal, woven stranded, and engineered planks.

4. They are more environment-friendly. Compared to hardwoods that take years—like 50 to even a hundred—to grow, bamboos only need an average of 5 years to become mature. What’s more, since they are grass, they tend to multiply easily. Thus, when there will be more people who are going to use the bamboo, there will be lesser timber companies that will be cutting trees.

Bamboos also have better tolerance against moisture and have better ratings when it comes to stability. Since they are laminated, they do not experience a lot of warping or cupping unlike hardwoods. They are also very durable. In fact, they are a lot stronger than oak and maple.

Question: I am currently planning to move to the suburbs next month. My husband and I think that it will be great for the kids, since they can mingle with other children. I also want them to feel as if they really belong to a community. We are currently living in a condominium, and I know that they feel kind of “caged” here. Anyway, I am wondering what type of floor will be perfect for the children’s rooms. My children are still very young. The eldest is just 9 years old, so I need something that will not stop them from getting rowdy and loud, but at the same time, I want something that is safe for them.

Answer: Perhaps all you need is a cork floor. This is something that has been used by numerous offices and buildings. In fact, if you have been to old ones, you will see them installed into the floors. As early as nineteenth century, cork floors were already bought and utilized.

Well, anyway, this only proves to you that cork floors carry a lot of advantages, which will be ideal for your children’s rooms. For one, they are definitely good for the feet. They are very warm and comfortable. They don’t hurt soles, and they are not cold, unlike ceramics. They have excellent insulation properties, so even if the winter has come or the wind has turned chilly, they can just lie down on the cork floors and absorb the warm they give.

Speaking of ceramics, like hardwood, they can be extremely dangerous to children. As you know, they are very hard, and based on your question, you have very active kids. You don’t want them slipping and banging their heads into the floors. Ceramics can be slippery too, especially if water and other kinds of liquids are accidentally spilled into them. Ceramic floors, on the other hand, are not. They are kind of rough, which means they are not completely smooth, so there’s lesser possibility of slipping. They are also soft, so when your children accidentally fall, they would not feel any kind of pain since the fall will just be smooth.

They are also hygienic and contain anti-allergy properties. These also set them apart from carpets. You know how the fibers of the carpets can be inhaled too, which may cause asthma attacks on your young ones. Moreover, dust and dirt can linger into the deeper portions of the carpet fiber, which may also be inhaled by your kids.

Are you currently working, or would you like to spend sometime alone at your own home? You need cork floors too. Surely, you like to have some peace at your own household. Cork floors can reduce the level of noise, so even if your children have been running around the room upstairs, you won’t hear their thumping sound. The same thing can also be said of your hyperactive pets, like dogs.

Most of all, they are easy to maintain. You just need to constantly vacuum them or get them away from sunlight, and they can last for a very long time.

Question: I just had a talk with my remodeler a couple of days ago, and he mentioned that it could be a nice idea to change my wood with ceramic tiles. Now I really don’t have any qualms with changing my hardwood since it’s been a long time that it’s been there. I inherited the house from my grandmother; that’s why I’m thinking of having a home renovation. I am not just quite sure of his suggestion, though. Ceramic tiles appear to be so vulnerable that they tend to break easily. Perhaps you can help convince me.

Answer: As they say, do not judge the book by its cover. Ceramic tiles may appear to be so vulnerable, but they do carry a lot of advantages. What’s more, they are actually very durable. I have ceramic tiles in my kitchen, and they never do break no matter how many times my son drops his mug into the floor. Besides, just in case they do get destroyed, they are a lot easier to replace than hardwoods. Because they’re tiles, you simply need to remove the damaged one and replace it with something new.

Ceramic tiles are also very easy to maintain. First, they don’t get stained or store in dirt, unlike hardwood. When you happen to spill something into the floor, you just need to grab a mop or an absorbent cloth, and you can already remove it without a trace. If the stain has already hardened, you pour in hot water into the floor, grab a mop, and you can already soften it. This way, it becomes more convenient for you to mop it. When you need to get rid of the dust, dirt, and grime, you can grab a handy vacuum cleaner. Nevertheless, you have to make sure that you can do the cleaning regularly. That’s how you can make sure that you can prevent the buildup of dust and dirt.

You also don’t need to worry about moisture retention. As you know, your hardwood can experience decay when exposed in too much liquid or when there is too much moisture in the atmosphere. The glazed ceramic tiles are very dense that they prevent the buildup or accumulation of moisture into your floor. Thus, you can spill all you want, and they don’t get damaged at all.

If you’re concerned about your environment, you will have better chances with ceramic tiles. They are usually made of natural materials. What’s more, you know that you’re not using trees that have been grown for years only to be cut down and be transformed as your floor. On the other hand, if you’re health conscious, you would surely be happy to know that these versatile and truly attractive pieces do not allow the growth of bacteria and allergens. You can certainly keep your loved ones safe from possible allergic reactions like asthma.

Lastly, ceramic tiles have high tolerance to flame. You can drop hundreds of cigarette butts or even those hot pans and skillets, and your ceramic tiles will still be good as new.