Environment 

Bamboo: The Plant 
Unlike most hardwood floors, bamboo is not produced from a tree but an extremely fast growing grass. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth. In fact, bamboo grows one third faster than the fastest growing tree. Some species can grow up to 1 meter per day and up to 60 feet in height within 90 days. Bamboo grows so fast that you can almost "see it grow".

The Renewable Resource - What really makes this unique flooring material truly an environmental miracle is the fact that the plant is truly a renewable resource. Once harvested, the bamboo root system merely sprouts a new shoot the following rainy season. In addition, unlike traditional hardwoods, which are harvested every 40 to 60 years, bamboo can be harvested every 3 to 5 years. 

Erosion Protection - Interestingly enough, bamboo has found to be an important component to erosion control in Asia. Bamboo's erosion protection capabilities lie in bamboo's extensive root system. Unlike forestry practices here in North America, bamboo has become a critical instrument for protecting hillsides, riverbanks and roads; moreover, bamboo is becoming a key effort in reforestation and protection in areas, which are prone to earthquakes.

Panda Friendly - Silkroad® bamboo harvesting does not affect surrounding wildlife, particularly the pandas that consume bamboo leaves. Silkroad bamboo is harvested from the MAO ZHU (Phyllostachys Pubescens aka. "Hairy Bamboo") specie which is not a food source or habitat for pandas.
 

Bamboo: The Flooring
Silkroad bamboo flooring combines the inherent renewable characteristics of bamboo, with low emission glues and surface coatings. This combination has created a new, and unique, environmentally friendly flooring option to the North American flooring market.

EcoLogo™  Certified -  Silkroad bamboo flooring is the first hardwood floor product to be third party certified (independent) by the Canadian government's Environmental Choice Program (EcoLogo). This means that you can be assured that our bamboo flooring is less harmful to your health and environment than non-certified alternatives.

Hardness - Hardness – The hardness of Silkroad Bamboo Flooring is exceptional. Harder than hard maple and oak flooring, this can minimize the need to replace the flooring over the lifecycle of a building, compared to other floor coverings.  Hardness, however should not be confused with durability. The durability of a floor has to do with how much wear the urethane finish on the surface will take. Although many of the styles of Silkroad Bamboo Flooring are harder than maple and oak flooring, the durability of the finish is similar.

Pre-finished Flooring - The finishing or coating procedure for Silkroad bamboo is completed at the factory, minimizing exposure to the volatile organic compounds (VOC's) contained in the solvents used in the finish. Eliminating the finishing process at the installation site greatly reduces human contact with these gases.

Low Emission Flooring - Silkroad bamboo is a truly healthy building material. The VOC's and formaldehyde levels are well below EcoLogo's Environmental Choice Program standards for Prefinished Hardwood Flooring (CTS-13). Additionally, bamboo floors are easy to keep free of potential allergy causing particles. Due to bamboo's properties for rapid regeneration and low environmental impact, bamboo has become one of the most responsible flooring material alternatives on the North American market.

Resource Efficiency — During the manufacturing process almost 100% of the bamboo is utilized. Of the material that is too small for the flooring production, paper, chopsticks and toothpicks are produced maximizing the use of this important resource.