by Rebecca Walker — July 15, 2009—Consumer Reports tested 21 different types of hardwood flooring, including seven bamboo floors, ranging in price from $4 a square foot to $9.
The floors were put through a battery of tests, including an abrasion test that simulates years of foot traffic, a test designed to see how easily a floor scratches and another test that shows how well a floor can withstand denting.
Also, a wide variety of substances, including ketchup and crayons, were placed on each of the floors to test stain resistance.
Testers said two strand bamboo floors out-performed all of the hardwoods and that bamboo flooring has gotten much tougher.
The top-rated floor was the EcoTimber Strand Woven Honey bamboo. At $5.50, it was named a Consumer Reports Best Buy.
Consumer Reports testers say they also found Armstrong’s Bruce Dundee Plank to be the traditional hardwood flooring Best Buy. It costs about the same as the Eco Timber at $5.70 a square foot.
For more information, see the Consumer Reports Web site.
