There’s hardly anything to not love about bamboo flooring — it’s beautiful, it’s clean, and it’s affordable. Many environmentalists would also point out that it has some very praiseworthy eco-friendly attributes, not the least of which is being made from a renewable and sustainable resource. There’s no doubt that bamboo flooring has a lot going for it, and that’s why it is one of those incredibly rare items that finds favor among even the most diverse segments of the floor-material buying population.

Regular homeowners and remodeling experts all agree: bamboo floors are simply an all-around excellent option. To the aesthetes, they offer natural beauty and thoughtful craftsmanship. To those who put practicalities before everything else? Well, the special floors give them a great deal too: low prices and a straightforward installation process that’s easy to adapt to whatever subfloor happens to be present.

Of course, like with anything else, for bamboo flooring, pros and cons must be assessed, even with all the praise that’s heaped on the material. Despite its affordability, installing new floors is still a relatively major project that will demand some investment of time and money. When deciding on which type of bamboo flooring you will select, thought must be given to the raw materials used, the finish, the best board length to select, and also the adhesives that are used. Environmentalists try to get shoppers to support bamboo floors that have been made from bamboo grown on plantations. This is because those harvested from the wild are more likely to have been cut down prematurely.

If you’re buying bamboo hardwood flooring, you’ll also have to select the finish you would like the floors to have.

Applying paint to the wood is becoming more common, but bamboo floors usually come in two colors: natural blond and carbonized. Finally, assembly style will also have to be mulled over because the floors can be assembled vertically or horizontally. A strand woven style also exists. Whatever details you choose, going for the bamboo is more likely than not to result in something that will be very pleasing for a long time to come.

Sam Walters is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her writing appears in print and online.