Bamboo

• Bamboo plants grow in many countries, including the United States. The plants grow rapidly, as much as 3 feet a day, making them a readily renewable source of material. To make bamboo flooring, manufacturers cut bamboo into thin slices, treat them with preservative, then glue the slices together and dry them. They may also dye the bamboo with a light or dark stain.
  
  

Wood

• Wood flooring can be made from new wood or reclaimed (recycled) wood. You can also choose a wood laminate --- a thin layer of hardwood glued to a wood or composite board. You can purchase wood floor in planks or square tiles, and you can lay it in a variety of patterns.
  
  

Advantages

• Bamboo flooring comes from a species that is easy to grow and allows for frequent harvesting. Bamboo is durable and long-lasting. Traditional wood floors can be refinished if they become scuffed and worn and are available in a wide variety of colors and species. Though wood grows much more slowly than bamboo, wood grown especially for harvest is managed, harvested and replanted as a renewable crop. You can also purchase reclaimed wood floors made from old barn wood and other old wood refashioned for new use as floors.
  
  

Disadvantages

• Depending on the preservatives and glues used in its manufacture, bamboo may not always be the greenest choice. Bamboo is not available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. As for wood, some varieties scratch easily. Refinishing floors is expensive and time-consuming. Some wood species are becoming more scarce.