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Photo: US Floors
Bamboo
"Bamboo has been around for a long time, but what we are seeing lately is an explosion of colors and styles," says Dean Howell, president of Atlanta-based MODA Floors & Interiors. While technically a fast-growing grass, bamboo is as hard or harder than most hardwoods when dried. Newer products called strand-woven bamboo, a highly engineered product using the inner fibers, are twice as hard as traditional bamboo flooring. Dean says that in addition to the common thin-banded styles shoppers have become accustomed to, bamboo is offered in wide-plank styles that mimic the look of classic hardwoods. As with all wood flooring, it's best to keep bamboo out of moisture-prone rooms like kitchens and baths.