Bamboo flooring is made from a fast-growing grass, cut into strips, pressed and cut into boards. It looks like timber and suits people who want a lighter-toned, sustainable-minded floor. Strand-woven bamboo is hard, while horizontal and vertical types are softer. Quality varies widely between suppliers, so it pays to compare boards, finishes and what each price includes. Send one request with your room sizes and finish, and independent suppliers and fitters in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
Types of bamboo board
Not all bamboo floors behave the same. The main types are:
- Strand-woven: shredded fibres pressed under heat. The hardest type, close to a tough hardwood, and the best choice for busy rooms.
- Horizontal: flat strips laid side by side, showing the bamboo nodes. Lighter and softer.
- Vertical: strips turned on edge for a finer, uniform grain.
Natural bamboo is pale blonde. Carbonised bamboo is darker, but the heating process makes it a little softer, so ask what the supplier recommends.
Fitting and moisture
Bamboo is fitted three ways: click-lock boards floated on underlay, glued to a dry screed, or nailed to battens. Bamboo reacts to humidity like timber, so it needs time to acclimatise and a gap at the walls. On the coast it swells in summer, and on the Highveld it shrinks in dry winters.
A fitter should test the slab with a moisture meter. Bamboo is a poor choice for bathrooms and laundries. For wetter rooms compare vinyl flooring or wood-look floor tiles.
What to look for in the quality
Ask the supplier about the board thickness, the wear layer on engineered click boards, the adhesive and the finish. Good bamboo has tight joints, an even colour and a hard-wearing coating. Cheap boards can scratch easily or open at the edges. Ask to see an off-cut and a full board in daylight, and whether the supplier will give a written guarantee. Do not accept a quote that does not name the board type.
Ask too about emissions from the glue and whether the supplier can tell you how the boards were made.
Comparing quotes and aftercare
Give each supplier the room sizes in square metres, the board type, the finish and whether you want it supplied only or fitted. Ask what the price covers: underlay, skirting, door trims, removal of the old floor and the waste allowance, normally 5 to 10 percent. Compare the totals, not just the price per square metre.
Keep the floor dry. Wipe up spills, use felt pads under furniture and sweep grit. A damp mop, not a wet one, is enough. Hard strand-woven bamboo can also be sanded and resealed once or twice.
What to include in your request
- The rooms and their size in square metres
- Strand-woven, horizontal or vertical bamboo
- Natural or carbonised colour
- What is on the floor now: tiles, carpet, screed
- The suburb and when the rooms will be empty
Bamboo Flooring for different clients
- Homeowners: strand-woven bamboo for bedrooms and lounges, with a light and natural look
- Flats and townhouses: click-lock bamboo on acoustic underlay that meets the body corporate's noise rules
- Builders, developers and renovators: bamboo boards priced per square metre across the whole house once the screed is dry
- Landlords and letting agents: a hard strand-woven floor that holds up between tenants and can be resealed
- Offices, practices and showrooms: light bamboo floors in studios and open-plan offices that suit a modern look
- Guesthouses, lodges and restaurants: bamboo floors in guest rooms and lodge suites, with a warm and natural finish
- Shops, salons and cafés: pale bamboo shop floors that give boutiques and salons a clean, bright look
- Schools, halls, gyms and studios: hard strand-woven bamboo for studios and classrooms with steady foot traffic
Frequently asked questions
Is bamboo flooring as hard as timber?
Can bamboo flooring go in a kitchen or bathroom?
How much does bamboo flooring cost?
Do you supply or install bamboo floors yourselves?
Bamboo Flooring by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg