The process of making carbonized
bamboo involves steaming or smoking of the bamboo. Think of this process
as if cooking the bamboo – what actually happens chemically
is the sugars inside the bamboo caramelize turning to a brown hue
which in turn darkens the bamboo to its beautiful caramel shade.
The advantage of owning carbonized bamboo over a stained floor is
that the color goes through the entire product, meaning that a scratch
or dent will not reveal a different colored portion of the floor.
There is one disadvantage to carbonized bamboo over natural bamboo
floors. Due to the cooking process of making carbonized bamboo, it
becomes slightly brittle when compared to natural bamboo, losing about
20% or its overall hardness. This makes carbonized bamboo slightly
softer than white oak in Janka Hardness ratings.