Allison Walker, Your Home

You won't find another plant that grows faster than bamboo. That is one reason why environmentally-conscious people choose to cover their floors with it.

But, as News 13's Allison Walker tells us, the woody plant is more versatile than you'd think.

Not all bamboo flooring looks or feels the same. The kind you choose makes a difference -- especially if you have a dog and are worried about scratch marks.

At the recent Orlando Home Show, Marc Spinner of Lumber Liquidators demonstrated the many looks of the renewable resource.

For pet owners, he recommends strand bamboo.

"It's much more dense than your standard carbonized or natural bamboo," Spinner said.

Spinner said bamboo is so popular right now because he can sell it for less than solid wood, and it is a green product because bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant on the planet.

A visitor to the Home Show, Gregory Myers, of Orlando, said he likes bamboo for its durability.

"It lasts longer and it looks better," Myers said.

But aesthetically, Spinner said, hand-scraped flooring is in right now -- whether it's bamboo or wood.

Spinner said to save money on flooring, buyers should choose "engineered" wood. Unlike solid wood flooring, engineered wood has a wood veneer over layers of plywood.

To see more Your Home stories, go to News 13 On Demand, Digital Cable Channel 313.

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