Bamboo vs. Pergo

[beans]

We live in Hawaii near the rain forest. Half the year is quite wet and half is dry. My friend was going to put in Pergo flooring as she has some in her house already and it looks great and has lasted well in spite of 3 huge golden retrievers.

She just asked me what I knew about Bamboo floors and I said I knew nothing about either, but you all are such a smart group, I would ask your opinion. YOu guys know everything!

What are the problems and what are the differnces between Pergo adn Bamboo and if you could point me some where so I could read it , I'd be happy with that too.

She needs to get this project underway within 2 weeks, so time is important.

Thank you SO MUCH for any advice.

with aloha, Beans. --smithfarms.com farmers of pure kona roast beans to kona to email

[chili palmer]

it's 6 of one, and a 1/2 dozen of the other

bamboo makes and excellent floor... just as good as the pergo.. so long as she buys a quality bamboo floor product

maybe she could shop for bamboo floor that is the same price as the pergo

if you or her are like most people, you know quality when you see it

or.. she visits a reputable floor dealer

[Todd H.]

No surprise--Pergo is some tough shit.

Or at least think we do.

What's the value of the home this is going into?

From what I've seen in my brief look at Bamboo is that it's friggin gorgeous and is quite the rage in high end homes, but your friend should prepare for stickershock because that stuff is expensive to manufacture and pricey as hell. I had to rule it out on cost. It's also a natural product and consider quite eco friendly because bamboo is a grass that regrows itself quickly doesn't need fertilizer and all that. While bamboo is very tough--as hard as maple or oak, but even denser, Pergo is pretty tough to beat in terms of durability. But it's not natural wood.

So basically it boils down to personal preference and budget. If there's a need to appeal to high end buyers or a high end look is desired, or bringing a bit of the island flora into the decor and cost isn't a problem, go for it. Otherwise, in terms of durability and look tradeoffs, Pergo is tough to beat.

You'll want to quickly factor in where and how quickly you can get product there then. That and the preference in look will be you guides on this I think.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

[Malcolm Hoar]

Pergo (and other laminate products) are likely to be considerably cheaper than good quality bamboo. Pergo will likely prove more durable too, although it doesn't tolerate a lot of moisture. I have no idea how well bamboo tolerates water however.

As a manufactured versus natural product, Pergo is totally consistent whereas bamboo will show much more variation in color, texture, quality and everything else. Of course, the asthetic appeal of manufactured versus natural products is in the eye of the beholder but it's often the determining factor in these decisions.

[Joseph Meehan]

Well Pergo is a brand name and may be made from more than one material. Bamboo is a material and is used by various manufacturers. Bamboo is a great material for floors.

[Frank]

This is worth reading:

Frank

[Phisherman]

Both materials are good. I know there are two types of bamboo, depending on the cut. Personally, I dislike the look of bamboo flooring and would offer less for a house that has it. Large dogs will damage any wooden flooring, less so if their nails are kept trimmed.

[Keith Williams]

Bamboo isn't all that pricey. I put down 700sq.ft. last year for about $2500, including installation and tear-up of the vinyl floor and some subfloor replacement. In fact it was cheaper to go bamboo than a mid-grade vinyl replacement floor.

[DK]

My dog has badly scratched up my 3 month old parquet flooring.

We just hate trimming her nails and are paying the price.

[Todd H.]

Wow, interestting. Perhaps I managed to pick the most expensive supplier to quote and didn't bother looking further. I may revisit it in the future. Thanks for the post Keith.

-- Todd H.

[beans]

terials are good. I know there are two types of bamboo,

lotsa snippage................................ Thank you ALL so much for taking the time to give me input!! You guys and gal (empress?) are awesome!! I have sent it all on to my friend and she doubly appreciates it! I think she may go with the Bamboo since there wasn't any real "con" about the bamboo and she has tons of bamboo on her coffee farm, but it is not the flooring material kind:)!

Again, many thank yous!

with aloha, beans --smithfarms.com farmers of pure kona roast beans to kona to email

[Keith Williams]

This is the stuff I bought:

The price seems to vary quite a bit (as low as $260/sq.ft. a while back). It's *easy* to put down (every piece is perfect). In fact if I did it again, I'd do the work. It would take me longer, but I think I could do a better job. The only hard part was ripping up the vinyl and cleaning the old glue off the floor (and the guy I hired hired a kid to do that ;).

[DT]

It's $2.89 a square foot at Lumber Liquidators and it is stunning. Thick, well made with an incredible finish. Several different shades available along with diamond shaped trim, matching floor registers, etc

-- Dennis

[Todd H.]

Nice. I'll definitely revisit this when I wanna get rid of the dining room/living room carpet.

-- Todd H.

[Jim McClain]

Pergo has several different qualities and some aren't tough as shit. The lower end products are pretty crappy actually.

Laminates and hardwood type products are installed in homes and businesses all over the world, in all kinds of climates. The temperature and humidity levels inside the home or business is what really matters. If you have a moisture condition inside, then you have a problem.

Laminate floors come in all sorts of patterns and designs, bamboo being just one. Laminates are not real wood (or grass, as in the real bamboo products) and have some advantages over wood. However, a damaged laminate panel must be replaced, where a damaged natural product might be able to be repaired in place.

Bamboo flooring is comparable in cost to other natural flooring. You can find high and low end products in any type of flooring. Manufacturers have become very adept at this because they want your dollars, no matter what budget you have.

I took the opportunity to reply to this post for selfish reasons. My hope is that anyone reading this might drop by a great new website to see the support we offer flooring professionals, consumers and do-it-yourselfers on any flooring topic. The Floor Pro Community (see link below my signature) is dedicated to sharing information and resources with flooring professionals and consumers alike. It's just 5 months old, but has great promise.

Thanks,

Jim

[sp628]

Go for the Bamboo. I had my whole house done in Pergo 6 years ago when laminate was still kind of new and quite pricey. I had to have it taken out of the kitchen when it was a year old because the dishwasher overflowed and buckled it. Had to have it taken out of my son's room 2 years ago when he had a small aquarium leak and now I need to have the family room replaced because somebody spilled a soda and didn;t wipe it up well enough or fast enough, (or both.). You think you are safe from water in certain rooms, but I never thought of spills. My firends dog peed on her laminate when it was sick and buckled it. The stuff cannot take ANY water. Otehr than that, it is tough and you couldn't ask for more. I am going with hardwood, probably bamboo since it is a renewable resource unlike mahogany, teak, etc.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Mahogany and teak are renewable, but it just take much longer. Decades longer

[DB]

I just purchased some solid bamboo in 5/8" thickness...........HD and another tool renter says the airtool is only setup for 3/4" flooring. Doesn't the tool only touch the top of the flooring and not rest on the existing floor? Can't understand why I need a specific nailer unless the distance from the top of my new board to the tongue is diff for 5/8 vs 3/4.

The alternative is a manual nailer but I'd sure like to use air-power if I can. Any ideas?

[DB]

I just purchased some solid bamboo in 5/8" thickness...........HD and another tool renter says the airtool is only setup for 3/4" flooring. Doesn't the tool only touch the top of the flooring and not rest on the existing floor? Can't understand why I need a specific nailer unless the distance from the top of my new board to the tongue is diff for 5/8 vs 3/4.

The alternative is a manual nailer but I'd sure like to use air-power if I can. Any ideas?

[krw]

They guy that put my bamboo floor down used a standard flooring nailer (stapler, actually). It went down fine, though bamboo is

*HARD* and some of the tongues split.