Guest Post - Why Bamboo Flooring is the Eco Friendly Alternative to Wood

The trouble with wood flooring

Wood flooring can be a gorgeous addition to any home, as wood is often both more beautiful than carpeting and also more durable. A good wood floor can improve the property value of your home as well, and as wood floors are relatively easy to install, the cost of making the switch is relatively low.

However, as with any major change to your home, wood floors present unique challenges to the homeowner. One of your biggest concerns when installing a wood floor may be the environmental impact of the change, since the creation of a beautiful hardwood floor requires a good deal of logging and not all tree harvesting is done in an environmentally friendly way.

While there are many suppliers that source their wood from second-growth forests that are grown especially for their wood, it can be easy to stumble across less scrupulous suppliers that are harvesting their wood directly from shrinking rainforests or vulnerable wilderness habitats. Even with the various certifications that exist to show that wood has been sustainably harvested, it can become nearly impossible to be certain that your new floor was brought to you by a responsible and ethical company.

An Eco-friendly alternative

Bamboo flooring avoids all of these issues. Because bamboo is a type of grass, not a tree, it grows incredibly fast--many times faster than any other wood source. A single bamboo plant can grow incredibly quickly, sometimes as much as 3 feet in a single day. That means that a piece of wood that would take years for a rainforest to produce can emerge from a bamboo stand in one growing season.

Because bamboo grows so quickly, it's much easier for bamboo forests to meet the ever-growing demands of the wood industry. Bamboo flooring takes much less resource to produce than traditional hardwoods, and bamboo harvesting has a much smaller environmental impact because of this. Wood taken from a bamboo stand can simply be replenished within a year or two, as opposed to ordinary forests, which when cut down often never recover. In their home ecologies, bamboo species thrive in warm temperatures and take advantage of heavy, intense rainy seasons. This tropical plant is used to putting out huge volumes of new growth as quickly as possible, which makes it an ideal substitute for hardwoods.

A different variety for every need

There are dozens of different species of bamboo, and each grows in its own unique way. Clumping bamboo tends to grow new stalks in a small area, while running bamboo sends out "runners" that create new plants all along the root system in a chain. Both species are fast growing, but running bamboo is the fastest-spreading type, and uncontained can swiftly take over large areas. In fact, when introduced to foreign environments, some bamboo species are considered invasive and can quickly overwhelm local ecosystems.

Thanks to the huge variety of bamboo species currently living, your new bamboo flooring will have a unique and beautiful texture completely unlike any other hardwood floor. The long grains and fibres of the bamboo plant give this type of wood a very intricate, organic pattern that is especially beautiful in modern homes, and bamboo floors can be found in an astonishing array of colours and shades.

Durability first

Since the fibres of the plant are springy and flexible but just as woody as any tree, bamboo makes an ideal flooring material. Typical bamboo floors are smooth with a satin-like texture, and take stains, sealers, and top coats extremely well.

But how durable is bamboo flooring? The answer depends on the additives included in the material. Stalks of bamboo aren't simply cut down and sawed into planks the way trees are. Bamboo fibres, before they become solid wood floors, are broken down into strands and then woven and reintegrated with adhesives to bind them more closely together.

Traditional construction bamboo, made by laying the bamboo stocks crosswise against the planking of the floor, has a Janka rating hardness of between 900 and 1300, a good mid-level rating. This type of bamboo may be susceptible to small scratches if you move your furniture regularly, but can be protected with rugs and sealers.

Strand-woven bamboo, however, is woven much more tightly among the strands, and uses more adhesive to create a higher hardness rating of between 2000 and 3200, near the peak end of the Janka scale. These floors are as tough as any hardwood and will certainly stand the test of time. Shop carefully for your specific needs.

Which bamboo is best for you?

Whether you're looking for a cherry red or a lighter blonde colour, there's certainly a bamboo available for you. Be sure to carefully research the flooring that will best suit your needs, and enjoy your beautiful new floor!

Mark Hutchison founded bamboo flooring company Bamboozle, based in Perth, Western Australia. You can connect with Mark on Google Plus, too.

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Seven Green Tips for the Kitchen

Let's think about our kitchens for a moment. They use a lot of energy ... refrigerators, stoves/ovens, counter-top appliances, etc. They are gathering places, often doubling as a recreation area (think of playing board games at the kitchen table), an office (where kids do homework, adults pay bills and often the location of a computer), and sometimes a comfortable spot to entertain guests. So, what better place to focus our "green" efforts? Here are some ideas to get started:

1. If you use a dishwasher (other than your spouse or kids), run it at off-peak hours ... for example, at midnight. Power plants generate electricity more efficiently during off-peak hours. And here's a bonus ... they usually sell it for less so ... you'll save money as well as energy.
   
   
2. When thawing frozen foods, consider thawing in the refrigerator rather than using a microwave or letting the item sit on a counter. It takes a bit longer but you'll save energy, both by not using an appliance and by using the item to keep the refrigerator contents cool.
   
   
3. Thinking of buying a cutting board? Consider bamboo. Not only is it a sustainable material, it is strong, hard and resists bacteria better than wood.
   
   
4. Rather than use ice to fill a cooler or "shock" vegetables (stop them from cooking after they've been removed from the stove), try using a freezer pack. It's reusable and you'll save water.
   
   
5. Collect rinse water and give it to your plants. Or, leave it in the sink and use it, instead of the faucet, to wash hands.
   
   
6. Want some fried food tonight? Consider stir frying ... since stir fried foods are typically cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked at high temperatures, they cook fast which means they use minimal energy. Here's a bonus ... stir frying uses less oil than traditional deep frying so it's also a healthier alternative.
   
   
7. If the kitchen doubles as a computer room, remember to place the computer and any desktop lamps, etc. on a power strip ... and then, turn them off when not in use.

There are many ways to "green" a kitchen ... these seven ideas are good places to start.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Tips, Facts and a Little Friday Fun ...

Here are a few tips, interesting facts ... and, a little Friday Fun!

• Save 1,000 pounds of C02 a year by simply wrapping your water heater in an insulating blanket. It is an inexpensive way to save energy (I found one for under $20 at Amazon).
  
  
• BPA (Bisphenol A), a hormone-disrupting chemical which leaches out of plastics (like poycarbonate water bottles) and into our bloodstream, became a household "word" when it's association with health problems, including diabetes and heart disease, became public knowledge. But did you know that many canned food containers have linings containing ... yep ... BPA? Opt for foods packaged in glass, cartons, BPA-free cans (Eden Foods makes them), or better yet ... make meals out of fresh produce.
  
  
• Reduce packaging by not buying single-serving foods and beverages. Buy bulk items instead and then portion out servings into reusable containers.
  
  
• Here's an interesting fact: Hard copy bills generate almost 700,000 tons of waste and almost two million tons of carbon dioxide. Wow! Opt for e-billing which is Eco-friendly and prevents ID theft.
  
  
• Did you know that most of the cut flowers, available in the U.S., are imported from countries who use pesticides which are banned here? Rather than buy beautiful bouquets from the grocery store or a "big box" store, opt for organic blooms from local farms. Another idea ... go for lovely, organic plants ... they last longer and will provide clean air.
  
  
• Are you into fishing? Most tackle boxes include some kind of fishing weight. Weights made from lead are toxic, poisoning wildlife such as loons and eagles. Opt for varieties made from steel, ceramic, tungsten or bismuth instead.
  
  
• Plastic containers and plastic wrap marked "Microwave-safe" won't melt or crack in the microwave. But ... those words don't ensure that dangerous chemicals won't leach into food. So, opt for glass containers when microwaving ... and never let plastic wrap touch food directly.
  
  
• Want to create a little ambiance with candle light? Try soy candles. They burn longer, cooler and produce 95% less soot than paraffin candles.
  
  
• If you're thinking of replacing your carpets with flooring (which is, by the way, an Eco-friendly idea), consider a bamboo floor. It's a sustainable material, durable and as beautiful as traditional hardwood floors.
  
  
• Need a good reason to switch from your desktop computer to a laptop? Here you go: laptops are 75% more energy efficient than desktops.
  
  
• And finally, if you love NASCAR ... good news! NASCAR is going green:

Have a great weekend!

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Strange Bedfellows: Paper, Sugar, Diapers

Paper, Sugar and Diapers ... Strange bedfellows indeed.

That bed has a few more occupants, however: Flour, Coffee Filters, White Cotton Clothing, Tampons, Toilet Paper, Tea Bags, and Cigarette Papers (to name a few). What do all of these "bed mates" have in common? They are brilliantly white thanks to bleaching ... a process which releases dioxins into the environment.

Dioxins are environmental pollutants and have been associated with health complications such as cancer, birth defects and an increased risk of diabetes. Because dioxins are "fat loving", they bioaccumulate in both humans and wildlife. Bioaccumulate means that they are absorbed into our bodies faster than our systems can get rid of them.

Waterways are particularly susceptible to dioxin contamination as a result of bleaching practices. The toxins get into fish and plant life ... and travel right up the food chain to us. Additionally, dioxins linger on the bleached items ... this is a concern because those items come in contact with us and/or our food.

There are many ways that dioxins enter the environment ... burning coal, using products with chlorine, burning trash in a can in the backyard, plastics (think PVC) ... and bleaching consumer products. Here's an interesting fact ... most natural, raw fibers and products aren't white at all ... they are brown or off-white. But somewhere along the line we came to believe that white equals clean. So we started bleaching things ... and hurting the environment.

Once again, there is power is our purchases. Refusing to buy bleached items increases the demand for unbleached items ... and a healthier planet. Here are a few ideas:

• Buy unbleached flour.
• Instead of white coffee filters, go for the natural, brown variety. Or better yet, invest in a reusable filter.
• Try raw or unrefined sugar or honey instead of white sugar.
  
• For paper products, look for unbleached varieties. This includes computer paper, toilet paper, paper towels and napkins, etc.
• Buy clothing made from natural organic cotton or, if you can find it, go for clothing made from hemp and bamboo. Both hemp and bamboo are sustainable crops and use less resources than cotton crops.
• Don't smoke.
• Check packaging ... anything white is a bleaching "giveaway".

As always ... I would love to hear from you!