As much as bamboo floors look stunning, they aren’t made of cement or stone which means they’re probably not as resilient. Be that as it may, you probably are wondering, do bamboo floors scratch easily? Here’s what you need to know.
Yes, compared to other types of flooring like ceramic tiles, vinyl tiles, or certain hardwood floors, bamboo floors scratch easily. Be that as it may, they are quite durable, long lasting, and vibrant, which makes them a compelling option for floors.
Keep in mind that most flooring is susceptible to scratches except carpets. In the case of ceramic tiles, they may not scratch easily but they chip and get cracked much more easily than bamboo floors.
So, in its own right, bamboo flooring is stronger and more resilient in ways that other forms of flooring may not be.
Also, another thing to take into consideration is what we mean by the word “easily.” If the standard for scratches on flooring is relatively high, this would imply that something that scratches easily may still be quite resilient to damage in general.
What I’ve realized is that you can avoid scratches on bamboo flooring if certain requirements are met. Furthermore, in the event that your floor does get scratched, it’s actually easy and affordable to have bamboo refinished. Which means that the floor can be smoothed and treated with a sealant or varnish again.
What Causes Scratches On Bamboo Floors
1. Moving furniture
Anything that is heavy or has sharp edges or grooves that sits on the floor has the potential to scratch bamboo floors.
The issue with furniture, unlike appliances, is that you often need to move it around. From chairs to tables, at some point, you may need to pull or push them around the house.
By not taking precautions, moving furniture is a big contributor to what causes bamboo floors to scratch easily.
2. Pets
I’m a huge cat person, but they absolutely don’t care about what they scratch. We can’t blame them. They’re animals, and it would be ridiculous for us to expect them to know any better.
We could try to train them, but ultimately, damages caused to household goods come with the territory of owning pets.
Both cats and dogs have an affinity to run around, scratch, and bite things. It’s in their playful and inquisitive nature.
So, without a doubt, pets are one of the popular reasons why bamboo floors scratch easily.
3. Wearing shoes indoors
If the shoes worn indoors have no grip and are particularly smooth underneath, they shouldn’t cause much of a problem for floors.
However, if people are wearing sports shoes or heels indoors, the chances of your bamboo floors getting scratched are high.
All of that person’s weight pressing against the shoe, which digs into the ground as they move, is a recipe for scratches on any wood floor.
Wearing shoes indoors will cause scratches on bamboo floors, without a doubt.
4. Kids toys and strollers
Most toys are made of plastic with a lot of edges. Strollers, as well, have wheels or bars that press against the ground.
The younger your kids are, the more likely they are to scratch floors.
Observe kids for a while, and you’ll notice that little kids toss or throw their toys playfully. It’s not even when they’re angry.
They just haven’t reached a stage of understanding that encourages them to be cautious with what they throw around.
5. Dropping items on the floor
I just spent a minute talking about kids throwing things on the floor but in the same light, adults can be clumsy as well, including myself.
Things are going to topple over, slip down, or fall over in a home.
That’s unavoidable and inevitable.
If these items are of a particular weight with a design that has many edges to them, it’s likely that they will scratch the floor unless they are cushioned by a rug or mat.
6. Doors dragging against the floor
If sliding doors or normal doors are not installed properly or they begin to sag in one corner because of a malfunctioning hinge, they’ll drag against the ground as they open.
When this happens, the friction between the floor and the door will cause damage to both of them.
What you’ll find is that your bamboo floors are scratched in the direction that the door opened and closed.
This is why it’s important to have doors properly sized and hinges screwed on properly.
On average, a door should have about 2 – 3 cm gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. This should prevent any dragging from occurring which will protect bamboo floors from getting scratched.
Tips To Prevent Bamboo Floors From Being Scratched
1. Don’t scrub floors with hard bristles
It’s tempting to drop down and give your floors a solid brushing to clean them up. I grew up in a household that took pride in excessive cleanliness and organization, but not all floors can be treated this way.
When it comes to bamboo flooring, you have to exercise some caution and discretion when cleaning.
Brushing or scrubbing with a brush that has hard bristles is a surefire way to scratch bamboo floors.
You have to opt for a more gentle method of removing dirt and stubborn stains from bamboo floors.
The Bona Ultimate Hardwood Floor Care Kit is a complete collection of tools and cleaning products that guarantee your wood floors are spotless, smooth, and shiny after each use. It’s highly rated on Amazon and is quite affordable.
2. Place rugs in areas that are prone to high foot traffic
Given that high traffic areas are prone to damage due to the sheer number of shoes that walk over the floors, you could minimize the impact of foot traffic by adding rugs or carpets to those areas.
Not only do rugs uplift a room’s decor, but they are a phenomenal way to prevent bamboo floors from being scratched by most things.
In fact, they add protection from water damage as well, given that bamboo is only water resistant and not waterproof.
3. Use pieces of sponge under furniture legs
Anything with a sharp edge that has some weight to it has the latent potential to cause damage to bamboo floors.
You can’t avoid moving furniture around the home.
If you have kids, they are more likely to scratch floors by pulling chairs or moving tables whenever they decide to eat or play.
Add some sponge or protective coverings over furniture legs to keep your bamboo floors from getting scratched.
Think of a cup coaster but for furniture legs without them being prone to slipping either.
4. Use socks or slippers indoors
Another way to prevent bamboo floors from being scratched easily is to encourage everyone to remove their shoes before entering the house.
You could provide protective shoe masks or slippers that people can slide into when they are walking inside.
At the very least, they could walk around in socks to prevent their shoes from scratching the bamboo flooring.
This may seem a bit weird in the West, but in most Eastern countries, especially in Asia, removing shoes before entering a home is considered good etiquette.
Ironically, these are the areas where people use the most bamboo in their homes.
Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of this article on whether or not bamboo floors scratch easily. As much as there are many ways that bamboo floors scratch easily, they are quite durable, resilient, and strong in other ways.
I would choose bamboo floors for most of my home despite this issue with scratches because it offers so many wonderful features that far supersede this weakness.
With that being said, if you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about cleaning and choosing floors, you need to read the following articles:
Is bamboo flooring waterproof?
What color dining table with light wood floors?