Bamboo vs Oak Hardwood

Q: Hello; my question is this, we are putting new floor in our living room and very much want Bamboo, but we have read horror stories that bamboo scratches quite easily. Is this true and do you recommend Hardwood over Bamboo? Also can you give me a recommendation for a good Bamboo Manufacturer?
We have 2 dogs and a cat if this makes any difference.
Thank you for your assistance,
Bobbi
A: Much as any other flooring product, although they are many bamboo floors out there, they are not all created equal. Each bamboo floor has a different finish – some can be easily scratched, others are just ill-cared for. Preventative maintenance is very important with any wood floor, whether its bamboo, oak, or even laminate.
This means regular cleaning, using entry mats at exterior doorways, keeping your pet’s nails clipped. This type of maintenance prevents a majority of scratches that floors receive. This being said, it also becomes important to choose a floor which is higher quality in both construction and finish. Keep in mind that scratches are almost purely dependent on the finish applied to the floor, where as denting is a matter of the material of the floor. If you are worried about potential denting, do not look into carbonized bamboo as it is far softer or look into a handscraped product as denting will be masked and blend into the natural appearance of the floor. You could also look into strand woven bamboo for a bit more durability.
For handscraped or strand woven floors, look into Ming Dynasty. For a more traditional looking bamboo, look into Westhollow or Teragren’s solid bamboo floors or the engineered bamboo floors from Springwood. These brands all carry aluminum oxide modified finishes for greater abrasion resistance, much like many of the finishes applied to solid wood flooring.
In the end its a matter of opinion, many hardwood floors are just as easy to damage as bamboo if improper care is taken of the floor, so as long as you install a floor which you like after doing some research and take good care of it, you should not be one of those horror stories you hear about.