Do you love the look of hardwood flooring, but can’t help but think of its impact on the environment? After all, why should anyone destroy nature’s beauty just to make their homes more beautiful?
Don’t worry—bamboo flooring gives the best of both worlds.
Bamboo flooring has grown in popularity in recent years because it boasts the beauty and durability of hardwood flooring but is also eco-friendly.
Homeowners on a budget are also turning to bamboo flooring because of its affordability. It is, on average, $1 per square foot cheaper than traditional hardwoods.
Whether you’ve been toying with the idea of bamboo flooring in the past or you’ve never heard of it until today, it’s important to do your research to find out if this flooring is right for your home. When choosing a manufacturer, Eco Forest bamboo flooring may be near the top of your list.
Before pulling out your wallet, consider the benefits, drawbacks, quality and overall value of this brand.
Collections
Eco Forest currently has four different collections to choose from. This makes it easy for homeowners to find the right style to dress up their space.
Eco Forest Origins is a collection that has a classic look that will retain its beauty for years. This collection is ideal for those who prefer a more traditional style.
The Eco Forest Elements collection is perfect for those who prefer a more stylish and trendy look in their home. This smooth and beautiful flooring offers clean lines and a more modern look than other Eco Forest collections.
Eco Forest Natural floors are true to their name. They give any home a more natural and rustic look. Warm colors and beautiful textures characterize the products in this collection.
Homeowners that dig the retro, vintage look will enjoy the selections offered in the Eco Forest Vintage collection. Weathered finishes and beautiful textures abound in the products within this collection.
Styles & Colors
Eco Forest bamboo flooring comes in colors ranging from light to dark and somewhere in between.
Brighten up any room with the Eco Forest Patina Locking Solid Stranded Bamboo in Light. Go even lighter with the distressed look of the Driftwood Locking Stranded Bamboo in the Eco Forest Vintage collection.
Prefer the beauty and sophistication of darker flooring? The Titan Black Hand Scraped Locking Stranded Bamboo fits the bill. Not only does this stunning flooring have a beautiful color. But the hand scraping brings out the natural beauty that makes wood flooring so appealing.
There is good news for the budget-minded. While some of this flooring may sound expensive, it’s surprisingly affordable. Most styles cost less than $4 per square foot. Many options available for less than $2 per square foot.
Compare this to the average $3 to $10 per square foot for hardwood flooring, and it’s easy to see why bamboo flooring is growing in popularity.
Care & Maintenance
Caring for and maintaining Eco Forest bamboo flooring is fairly easy if you take proper precautions. Homeowners that have cared for and maintained hardwood flooring will find that the same tips and tricks apply to bamboo flooring.
You can perform a daily routine of getting up dirt and dust just by sweeping the flooring with a broom, or using a hard floor vacuum. This is an important step because a buildup of dirt or grime can lead to dulling, scratching, or other types of damage to the floor.
While bamboo flooring is more resistant to water than traditional hardwoods, you should take care to make sure that water is never left standing on the surface for extended periods of time.
Clean up any spills immediately. Avoid wet mopping at all times. A specialty cleaner designed for use on bamboo is the best method for heavier cleaning of Eco Forest’s flooring.
Like hardwoods, bamboo flooring can fade when exposed to the sun’s UV rays. Window coverings should be used to prevent this fading, while changing the positioning of your furniture will also help floors that naturally fade over time do so more evenly.
While bamboo flooring is often more durable than hardwood flooring, it can be damaged. Avoid walking on the floors with high-heeled shoes, keep pets’ nails trimmed, and avoid dragging furniture or other objects across the floor. Failure to take care of the floors will result in scratches, dings and other damage.
Installation
Eco Forest bamboo flooring sounds great, right? However, there is one key area that makes a big difference when it comes to the appearance of your flooring: installation.
As with other types of flooring, you must install them properly to ensure the beauty, safety and integrity of the floor.
The manufacturer recommends that people install this flooring in rooms where the temperature averages 70 degrees Fahrenheit. They recommend a relative humidity of 40% to 60% is recommended.
You should use a dehumidifier seasonally as needed to avoid expansion and contraction of the flooring. You should avoid installing this in bathrooms or other rooms that do not fit this criteria. Instead, select another type of flooring for those rooms.
Before installation begins you should inspect all flooring for any flaws or damage. It’s also important to lay the flooring down in the room for installation for 5 to 7 days so it can acclimate to the temperature and humidity. Any subfloor repairs should also be made before beginning.
A hammer, saw and crowbar are the only tools you need for installation. You may need glue in some cases, as well. Eco Forest bamboo flooring has a locking system that eliminates the need for nails.
While it seems easy enough, many homeowners that have purchased Eco Forest bamboo flooring have encountered problems during installation. This includes gapping, lifting and bowing.
In some cases, installers found that trying to correct the problem resulted in scratches and dings that marred the appearance of the flooring.
This may come as bad news to those who planned to tackle the job themselves. Many consumers who have purchased this flooring opted to hire a contractor for installation. That can drive up the cost of this flooring by hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Though Eco Forest provides step-by-step instructions for self-installation, it is best if you hire a professional.
Eco Forest bamboo flooring comes with a 40-year structural warranty. However, this does not cover damage that is caused by improper installation or failure to properly care for or maintain the wood.
Final Verdict
When stacked against other brands of bamboo flooring, Eco Forest offers many of the same benefits. Beauty, durability and a wide selection of colors and styles are the top features that the brand boasts.
However, because people can damage it with misuse, it isn’t a good choice for homes with heavy traffic, children or pets. You must take care of the floors daily and maintain them on a regular basis to retain their beauty.
Anyone looking for an extremely low-maintenance flooring may want to steer clear of Eco Forest bamboo flooring.
Installation can also prove to be a challenge, and paying a contractor to do the job properly is the best option. However, this may cause budgetary issues for those who expected to tackle the job themselves.
Eco Forest has its shares of benefits and drawbacks, but overall, its pricing and the fact that it’s an eco-friendly product makes it an appealing choice for many homeowners. After weighing the pros and cons, you may even decide it’s the right choice for you.
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Can anyone recommend a cleaning product for the Eco Forest bamboo? My floors are dull and immediately after cleaning, foot prints, marks show up. Impossible to maintain.
After reading above comments, I am a little nervous, we purchase Eco Forest Flooring “Classic Brown” from Floor and Decor last weekend which is discontinued and not returnable, we pick it up on Saturday. Should we cancel the order and look for something else. Thanks in advance
We installed in Feb 2014 and have had some separation. Had to have a specialist come in to determine the problem (at our expense). He determined it was an installation issue. Apparently bamboo expands in both directions and more than regular floors. So the installer pulled up the floor and relaid, making sure to leave more clearance against walls (and we had to switch to giant floor molding to cover the gap against the walls). Still have same problem during certain months of the year. Had the bedrooms done years later with similar material but not exactly the same (Boards are now shorter and a little less wide but looks extremely similar) and have had no issue. Now that I want to remodel my kitchen I can’t get any more of the flooring that I bought in Feb 2014. I have some extra but maybe not enough for the remodel. That is very frustrating.
So glad I found this review as we were going to purchase 2000 sq ft of this today, but now will definitely look at other products.
We are having a similar problem with our floor. We had previously installed teak wood in our living room, hall & master bedroom. Tile was in the kitchen. After a remodel, I wanted all the flooring to match. We bought the bamboo from Floor & Decor and used one of their recommended contractors. Within 6 months or so we did notice that there seemed to be some flaws starting. It began to be a real concern a few months ago. I contacted Floor & Decor to inquire about the differences in the glues. After explaining to the lady, she recommended it be pushed to the claims department. I was sent a claims form to complete and had to send pictures of the flooring. I was later contacted by someone telling me that it was because our subflooring was not level. The contractor had used leveler prior to installing the floor. He also check the moisture level as well. Now, the installer is saying that we had a leak somewhere. My husband turned off the main water and showed him the meter stopped running, no leak. Now they are saying we need to contact our insurance company. We spent a lot of money for this flooring. Has anyone had any positive results with replacing your flooring?
We are going through our own nightmare now. Purchased the bamboo at Floor and Decor. Had it professionally installed and it started buckling after a few days! Contacted store, spoke to manager who is supposed to get back with us. That was two weeks ago.
Hello, does Eco Flooring have a website? Do they have any certifications for VOCs, formaldehyde, etc.? Floor and Decor hasn’t a clue.
thanks.
Did you ever get an answer to your question? I would like to know as well as I’m considering this floor but am chemically sensitive.
I installed my Eco Forest Stranded Bamboo Flooring last summer after waiting a couple of weeks for the opened boxes to acclimate to the room. I installed it over the medium grade underlayment on a concrete slab. It looked beautiful. I use the room as an office/craft storage room, so am seldom in there. I went in last night and discovered what I initially thought was drops of a sticky substance resembling syrup which completely confused me. I took a video of the bubbling and used my fingernail to show the bubbles are filled with what is likely resin. It is also starting to happen on random boards throughout the room, so about 6 months after installation. There is not any buckling, so I think it is a delamination resin issue, not a moisture issue. I see from another post that Floor and Decor is likely to give me the runaround despite the 40 year warranty on the side of the box. I hope that is not the case.
my floor was installed by a contractor and the floor boards are separating along the length of each board entire room is experiencing this. No glue used for install
How can this be fixed ? Is correcting separating in small areas easily done
Same thing for me. The boards are not staying locked together. Call Floor & Decor manager and get into claim escalations department for form to file a complaint.
Vance
I have installed EcoForest stranded bamboo in two bedrooms in my home. We installed it ourselves. I couldn’t be happier with the product. It was easy to install and 3-4 years later the floor in my master bedroom still looks perfect. The only down side that I see is having to be careful about water. Other than that a great and highly durable project for the cost.
Hi, I actually bought this floor from Floor and Décor. Beautiful flooring, love the look on my second floor. I’m actually doing some research on this floor and came across your article about Eco Flooring. My floor was installed in January 2017. Six months later I started noticing some bobbles in some of the tiles which started to peel. In my son’s closet (which I hardly mop just vacuum) one of the tiles has peeled off. I now have 4 out 5 rooms with damaged tiles.
I’m fighting with Floor and Décor to reimburse me for what I paid for it so I can replace it. They sent an investigator and his report was completely unprofessional and wrong, in my opinion. A lawyer sent them a letter where Floor and Décor responded that even the manufacture agrees with the investigator’s report. Who is the manufacturer? Is it Floor and Décor? I looked for a lawyer because after many calls and emails they never returned any of them.
Thank you, Larissa
Same problem as many others have posted. We purchased for the whole house and installed it in half of the house for the first phase of our remodel. We cured it, used the highest grade padding underneath, left gap and it still buckeled. And scratches way too easily. Floor and decor doesn’t have the same sky so were not helpful. Nevermind they sell the EXACT same floor and stuck a II on it with a new sku. Shady. We’re trying to go thru the manufacturer now. Anyone find out how to reach them yet??
My floor has separation issues any little spil goes under the floor because expands and got open in between the inspectors they recomended works fir then and charge you to made the story short I lost about $7000 with this products I made a claim and they denied saying that it the flood we do not have any food just excuses for not to give me me my money back.I got my suspicious when all my file as a pro was delite in Floor and Decord That they are crook In my experian I will never buy anything in this store I do not trust them anymore