Bamboo in Colorado

Q: I read in our local paper someone complaining that they got bamboo floors and they were drying out and falling apart in our dry Colorado climate. Is there a real concern about this?
A: That’s quite the claim there, and to be honest, it sounds like a manufacturing defect rather than climate – unless the bamboo was left out to get tons and tons of moisture from rain or snow, then was put immediately into 90 degree dry weather.
Unfortunately, there are so many bamboo manufacturers out there and so few of them produce quality bamboo floors and so a bit of a stigma has become attached to bamboo. Typically, the cheaper bamboo is made with lots of glue and lower quality production, making a far insuperior product. This being said, the problem you read about sounds more like poor quality product or dry rot rather than climate.
Is there a real concern with bamboo in Colorado’s climate? Yes and no. There is a concern if you buy very cheap bamboo, but this concern would be present no matter where it was installed. If you purchased a quality bamboo floor which comes from one of the better manufacturers out there and proper acclimation and installation is completed there is no concern and you will end up with a great looking, contemporary and earth-friendly floor.