I'm having the same debate (kitchen, etc. flooring) for my kitchen remodel. I've read several articles that say bamboo is slightly more water resistant than hardwood. I googled "bamboo flooring pros and cons" to find this info. Have you made a decision yet?

Don't. Unless you are doing a floating floor, above grade, where the crawl space has moisture remediation done with a vapor barrier.

Bamboo, like any other wood, only likes moisture when it's alive and growing. As long as you keep your home climate controlled within the limits specified by the manufacturer you shouldn't have any problems. Any spills must be cleaned up immediately.

I didn't have bamboo in the kitchen of my previous home, but I did have it in most of the rest of the house, and I would never have it again. It did cup somewhat when I took a slightly damp mop to it, but that may have been the fault of the installers. What was definitely not their fault was how easily the stuff scratched and dented. Vendors will tell you that bamboo is "harder than maple" and ranks at some impressively high number on the hardness scale, or some such nonsense. Don't believe it. I'm sure that a very high-quality of bamboo exists out there somewhere, but don't make any assumptions and don't listen to sales folk.

Thanks everyone, I went ahead with the bamboo flooring throughout the house including the kitchen. The floors have been sitting in the house for 2 weeks getting acclimated. We decided to put it only on the first floor to see how it holds up. We have 3 kids and a plan on getting a large dog, so the floors will be put to the test. I will update this thread once they are in with pics and later to see how hey hold up. We are doing floating floors.

@samayyz...while you are acclimating your bamboo, please check your HVAC (heating, A/C) to ensure you have finger tip control for the humidity. If you do not have a system based humidifier/dehumidifier (what is attached depends on where you live). You will need to control both the humidity AND the temperature with great precision. The bamboo will require a minimum of 45% humidity. Without this accurate humidity control, you may find bamboo is hard to keep happy. Good luck.

I am curious about how the bamboo is in your kitchen. Any updates? We need to decide on flooring for our kitchen remodel. We cannot do hardwood to match the adjoining foyer/dining rooms, but we are opening up to the family room which currently has carpet. A friend suggested bamboo for the family room, and tile in the kitchen, but I am wondering about bamboo in the kitchen AND family room for a seamless look.

I have installed wood floor throughout many houses in Florida. Even in my own house I have wood and am thinking about installing a nice wood tile. The biggest issues I've seen is people buying the most inexpensive wood tile and thats exactly what it looks like. Install with 1/18 grout line and stagger it will look great.

I will try and take a picture tomorrow in natural light. We decided to tile the foyer straight into the kitchen and I love it. With 3 kids and lots of guest we have put these floor through the passes while they have mostly held up good I found a few splintered areas that you really have to look for other than that because of the color we choose we can't find a matching touch up paint pen to match it. Other than that I see no down sides. We did get click lock floors because we know we are not lifetime floors people. Click lock is easier to change if I want new floors in about 20 - 25 years.

Click-lock bamboo isn't a 20 year floor. It is more a 7-10 year floor. And it has the worst reputation of all. If you are seeing SPLINTERING in a click together floor (splintering comes with NAILS...or cleats...or staples...something metal that pierces the tongue), this is a good sign that you will need replacement floors sooner rather than later. If you have quality issues, start the documentation with date and time and photos.

And make sure you have your HVAC ducks in a row. The instant the manufacturer finds out you have NO humidity control, the game is up and you will have a useless warranty on your hands.

Good luck. Click together bamboo has one of the worst reputations of all bamboo floors.

@Cancork: So the best is what installation?

Depends upon your climate. Here in central Texas I will only install the floating option.

Here is a picture of my floors this is with natural light but it's cloudy outside.

@everdebz...the best bamboo is the high-end strand woven products that go for $10 - $15/sf. This ensures the product is NOT made with formaldehyde adhesives. Some bamboo can be as much as 30% adhesive. That means the adhesive used is SUPER important. Even the "good formaldehyde" (yes...there is one) is still bad enough to upset people with chemical sensitivities. This formaldehyde is called phenol-formaldehyde. It is the "best" of the worst types of adhesives (formaldehyde adhesives are illegal in Europe). This formaldehyde is often seen in the $6-$9/sf range.

The BAD formaldehyde (urea formaldehyde) is often seen in the LOW END products...the one's many people are MOST attracted to because of the price (less than $6/sf (can be as little as $2.99/sf at LL).

A bamboo floor is like hardwood - the high end stuff is best. The solid stuff is best. And the method of installation is like high-end hardwood. If the situation allows for it, glue down is the highest level followed by nail/staple/cleat. If the edge allows for it, a floating floor (glued at the edges) is also a decent option when it is needed.

Bamboo is VERY TRICKY to live with. Temperature control and HUMIDITY control are IMPERATIVE. The cost of the floor is only part of the story. Many people have to up grade their HVAC (heating ventilation and Air Conditioning) at the same time. And because of the BIG costs to do it...few go that way. And they pay the ultimate price for NOT upgrading the HVAC = full failure bamboo with no one to blame but the house itself. Once that happens, the finger point starts. The biggest complaint I hear when bamboo goes wrong is "Why did they let me buy it! Why did they sell it to me? How come no one told me?"

My answer: "Caveat emptor" - Buyer Beware!