Let's talk hardwood flooring. Who's got them or has had them? Pros? Cons?

[William]

So talk to me about hardwood v bamboo then. The thought had crossed my mind but then I started hearing horror stories although now it seems as though most of those may have been an inferior engineered product and possibly a better product would hold up better and put it back in the running. I would have thought that by now bamboo would be less expensive than comparable hardwood since it grows so quickly and is so much easier to produce. It seems as though demand has kept the prices up to where hardwood is or more still. I like the idea of soft as we go barefoot but I'm concerned with long-term reliability & durability if we do that. I also had a buddy that did their kitchen floor in cork because his wife wanted a softer surface but after doing that they both swore they'd never do cork flooring again. Just one opinion I guess but it was enough to scare me away from attempting it and will likely just opt for tile in the kitchen & bathrooms. We've got vinyl flooring for now that will be fine until I feel like taking on tile work but as bad as this carpet is I think this project should come first.

Quality Bamboo is not cheap, and the cheap bamboo has formaldehyde glues. If you take a green product like Bamboo and lace it down with chemicals it isn't all that green anymore. So it is a matter of preference based partially on what you like the look of.

Here is a good article on the pros and cons of each.

My biased opinion is to buy hardwood and my prices on quality hardwood in Colorado are hard to beat But good luck which ever way you go.