Does the beauty of hardwood flooring catch your eye, but you can’t bring yourself to make the investment because you can’t help but think about all the horror stories you’ve heard? Scratched flooring, floors that are hard to keep clean, floors that aren’t good for homes with children and pets?
Hardwood flooring certainly has its drawbacks. That is why more people are turning to bamboo flooring.
Bamboo flooring has quickly gained a reputation as being stronger, more durable, and even less expensive than hardwoods. Does Ambient BP bamboo flooring fulfill these promises?
Ambient Bamboo Products is a company that began in 2005. It was one of the first companies to specialize in bamboo and eucalyptus flooring. The company claims to have a reputation for quality. But what do consumers really think?
If you’re considering bamboo flooring for your home, read on. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at Ambient BP flooring. Our goal is to help you make an informed purchasing decision.
We’re going to break down features including durability, pricing, and installation. We will help you to determine if this flooring is right for your home, or if you should leave it on the shelf and consider another brand.
Is Ambient BP Flooring Durable?
One thing that makes homeowners shy away from hardwood floors is how easy they can be to damage. Pets, children, and even furniture legs can cause unsightly scratches. Dropping something can cause dents and dings. In addition, exposure to moisture can ruin expensive hardwoods.
In general, natural bamboo flooring ranges from fairly-to-exceptionally hard. On the Janka Hardness scale, which measures the hardness of wood, strand woven bamboo (the type Ambient sells) is 2-3 time harder than most other hardwood species. Other bamboo variants – horizontal or vertical bamboo flooring, for instance – are about as hard as common hardwood species like red oak and hard maple. Darker bamboo that has been carbonized is often softer – similar to wood species like cherry.
Bamboo floors, including the products available through Ambient BP, are extremely durable. However, they are not completely resistant to scratching or other types of damage. Even though it is very durable, everyday wear and tear can contribute to scratches.
The good news is that there are hardwood floor scratch-concealing products. You can purchase them online or from brick-and-mortar flooring and home improvement stores. They improve the appearance of scratches.
Ambient also provides free flooring samples to customers. That way, they can test out the durability for themselves before investing in new flooring.
Most bamboo flooring is also not resistant to water. Any spills should be cleaned up immediately. However, Jen with Ambient Floors (see comment section below) told us their strand woven bamboo is “highly water resistant for up to 24 hours for large spills and puddles.”
This type of flooring should never be wet mopped. Getting Ambient BP flooring overly wet could result in expansion. That would lead to bubbling on the polyurethane surface, buckling, staining, and other damage.
Ambient BP bamboo flooring is quite durable for everyday use. However, it’s not completely resistant to damage.
However, you can take steps to prevent this damage from occurring. Those steps include using furniture coasters and leg protectors. You should also install it in rooms with low moisture and humidity.
It is also important to keep your pets’ nails short. Pros recommend taking off your shoes when walking on your new floors.
Constant exposure to direct sunlight may also cause your flooring to fade. You can prevent this from happening by using rugs, furniture, or other items. That will cover the floor where it is exposed to sunlight. You can also use window treatments or films to filter UV light.
To guarantee the quality of your flooring, all Ambient flooring products come with a lifetime limited warranty. Although this warranty does not cover damage caused from everyday wear and tear, it does protect your investment from damages caused by defects in workmanship.
Is Ambient BP Flooring Affordable?
One of the primary concerns of consumers is whether their new flooring will fit in their budget. New flooring can be extremely expensive. When compared to other types of flooring, is Ambient BP bamboo flooring a cost-effective brand?
On average, bamboo flooring costs about $5 to $7 per square foot. Of course, this is just an estimate. You may find that the price is different based on the brand you select, where you purchase the flooring, quality, and other factors.
Ambient BP flooring is priced at around $3 to $5 per square foot. When compared to other products, it is very affordably priced, making it a great choice for a homeowner on a budget. Another great feature is that Ambient BP offers up to five can free samples, whereas many companies charge a small fee for their samples.
One additional thing to note is that Ambient BP flooring products come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t love your product, you can return your unaltered, undamaged products for a refund. If your boxes have been opened, a 5% restocking fee will be deducted from your refund, and if your return is received after 30 days, a 20% restocking fee will be charged.
Is It Easy To Install?
While Ambient BP flooring is affordable, there are additional costs to consider. In addition to materials such as adhesives, nails, tools, and trim pieces, you also have one big expense to think about: installation.
The average cost of labor to install a bamboo floor is about $2-4 per square foot. This can vary based on the region you live in, the contractor you select, and the size/difficulty of the job.
Maybe this additional cost isn’t within your budget, and you just prefer to tackle this as a do-it-yourself project. If this is the case, you may consider installing your own flooring. For the average homeowner, how difficult is it to install Ambient BP flooring?
Ambient actually makes it quite easy to install its flooring products by providing detailed instructions and tools list on their website. A downloadable PDF is available for printing so that you can have easy access to these instructions while completing the work.
It is important to note here that installing your bamboo flooring will take extreme care and patience. Steps include preparing the subfloor, testing the subfloor for moisture, and then installing the floor. How you install the floor depends upon the product you’ve purchased and the method you choose: glue-down, cleat, stable, or float.
To install your floor, you will need a few special tools. This includes a carpenter’s square, rubber mallet, tapping block, nail gun, and saw. You may already have these items on-hand, or you can rent or purchase these tools from a home improvement shop.
As long as you take your time and follow the instructions, you should be able to install your flooring with no problem using the guide that Ambient has provided. However, there are special precautions to take, such as allowing your flooring to adjust to the room temperature and humidity for at least 72 hours before installing and purchasing 7% to 10% more flooring than you need to allow for cutting and waste.
Is Cleaning & Maintenance A Pain?
Who wants to spend hours keeping their floors looking great? Most homeowners just don’t have the time to devote to hour after hour of bamboo cleaning and maintenance, so they find a flooring product with easy upkeep. How does Ambient BP stand up?
Ambient BP bamboo flooring is not difficult to clean or maintain, but there are a few precautions to be aware of. Regular cleaning can be performed just as with any other flooring – sweep it with a broom or dust mop or use a hard floor vacuum to clean up daily dust and debris.
When you need to perform a deeper clean, you can do so with a product designed for use on bamboo floors. Never saturate the floor and wipe clean with a dry mop or cloth. Never use abrasive cleaners, wet mops, or steam mops on your Ambient bamboo floors.
One complaint from consumers is that getting floors wet will lead to expansion, buckling, and staining. This is common with all brands of bamboo flooring. Make sure to never saturate your floor, wipe up any spills immediately, and do not install your flooring in rooms with high moisture or humidity.
If your flooring becomes damaged over time, it can be refinished two to four times depending on the type you select. This prevents you from having to replace your entire floor while restoring its original beauty.
If you need to replace flooring, you have the option to send in a sample to Ambient BP. The professional team will determine what flooring they have in stock that will be the best match for your existing flooring.
Are There Plenty Of Styles To Choose From?
One factor of your new flooring that’s probably extremely important to you is whether there’s a color and style that will fit in your home. Most homeowners consider their own personal style, paint colors, home furnishings and décor, and other flooring in the home before making their purchase.
Ambient BP has a wide assortment of flooring products to complement any home. From Rustic Ivory Strand Bamboo for a shabby chic style to Café Brown, Toasted Almond, and Java for a darker, more modern look, there are multiple colors to choose from.
Ambient BP also offers “antiqued” styles if you prefer an aged look. Can’t find what you want in Ambient’s bamboo styles? The company also offers eucalyptus flooring for additional style choices.
If you’re unsure of while flooring would look best in your home, you can order up to five free samples to check out the beauty and quality of Ambient’s products. You will not need a credit card to receive your samples.
Final Verdict
Overall, Ambient BP bamboo flooring holds its own when compared to other brands of bamboo flooring and even other types of hard flooring, such as hardwoods. Consumers generally have very favorable reviews of Ambient’s products, praising the beauty and quality of the flooring.
While there are a few considerations to keep in mind – such as floors being scratched or damaged by water – this is not specific to the brand. These are just common concerns surrounding bamboo flooring.
Ambient BP flooring has a wide selection of styles, is fairly easy to install, and is available at a low price point. If you’re thinking about purchasing bamboo flooring, check out Ambient BP and consider adding this reputable brand to the top of your list.
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