With the growing popularity of eco-friendly wood flooring products, it is only logical to check eucalyptus flooring reviews if you are interested in installing the floor at home.
The eco-friendly products have gained increased popularity over the last few years. We see materials, such as bamboo and cork, have been used in many places both in residential setting as well as commercial places.
A lot of homeowners overlook the eucalyptus floor. While in reality, eucalyptus is a good traditional wood with lower price tag.
Yes, it would be cheaper to have it for your house.
The Pros and Cons
When you hear the word eucalyptus, what comes to mind?
Koalas?
Australia?
Well, it’s not wrong to associate those two things with eucalyptus. But in reality, you can actually find the tree in different parts of the world.
The parts of the tree are beneficial each of them can be turned into medicine and even floor for both commercial and residential setting.
The biggest perk of eucalyptus floor is the durability. If you read eucalyptus flooring reviews, you’d know that in Janka hardness scale, it is on the top chart.
If you check into the scale, you basically can the eucalyptus floor in the range of 4000. To compare it, red oak has 1200 scale while hickory is at 1800.
Will the floor stand well against abuse?
You can bet on it.
Another perk of the eucalyptus floor is its ability to deal with humidity which is pretty well. It’s quite impressive, really, considering that it isn’t a waterproof type.
But when you compare it to hardwood, eucalyptus is better. It means that eucalyptus floor can be installed quite well in water-prone areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, or laundry rooms or even the basements.
Be advised, though, that you still need to take extra precautions when installing the floor in those areas.
It isn’t a good idea to leave any water pooling or standing on the floor no matter what type it is.
Read Also: Heart Pine Flooring Reviews
Is It a Green Floor?
This is actually a good question. On the contrary to what people believe, some of the ‘natural’ materials aren’t exactly green. Well, at least not as green as you believe or think.
You see, eucalyptus tree grows quite fast. You can harvest a tree in 4 years. When you have to compare it to hardwood species, such as oak which can take decades to harvest, then eucalyptus seems like a good and green option.
But then again, the tree needs to be harvested and then replanted again and within environmentally conscious manner.
What you need to consider about the green factor is the adhesive as well as the contents used for the coating or wear layer.
There is no such thing as environmentally-friendly adhesives. However, you should be able to find products or items with low VOC rating quite easily. And for the top coat, you want to go with the water-based wooden finishes.
They are the safest option. And well-known companies should have such info available.
Another perk is the price tag. It is an affordable flooring product. In terms of maintenance, it is easy to care and maintain. Keeping it cleaning won’t be an issue.
When compared to hardwood, not only it is cheaper, but it handles rowdy and active kids and also pets quite well.
In short, there are many positive eucalyptus flooring reviews about the floor especially if you want something inexpensive and easy to simple and yet still unique and beautiful.
The biggest flaw about eucalyptus floor is the limited option. It isn’t exactly easy to find at Home Depot or other big box hardware stores.
If you find any, their options are limited. But it would be better to check the online stores. You may have better chances. But in short, the selection is quite limited.
Moreover, there aren’t many eucalyptus flooring reviews. Just like other exotic wood types, you may deal with nonexistent grading standards. You need to perform overall and thorough research on your own.
Bamboo or Eucalyptus?
Today, there are 3 popular exotic flooring options: eucalyptus, cork, and bamboo.
With the cork, you will never encounter any issue because it is the bark that is used. It means that the trees don’t have to be cut down.
Bamboos and eucalyptus are harvested for floors and they are manufactured in a different manner than the cork.
So, in general, bamboos and eucalyptus have more similarities than with cork.
Bamboo is actually a grass not a tree. Just like eucalyptus, bamboo grows quite fast.
Both are renewable materials, but bamboos have a little advantage in terms of availability and prices. However, some people may find the bamboos to be ‘too unique’.
Eucalyptus, on the other hand, has its own natural knots (not nodes) which make them look similar to traditional wood.
That’s why eucalyptus flooring reviews usually have positive tone.
Eucalyptus Flooring Types
Just like bamboo floor, eucalyptus floor has similar manufacturing processes.
You should be able to find solid planks, strand woven, and engineered type for the eucalyptus type. Up until now, the strand woven type is the strongest and the toughest.
It’s because eucalyptus’ strips would be woven together and then compressed under extreme pressure and heat. As a result, the plank would be hard harder than other flooring types.
The hardness scale can be between 3000 and 5000. A solid board has 1200 hardness scale while engineered planks are between 1200 and 2000.
You will not find any issue finding laminate eucalyptus floor (yes, it does exist), but it isn’t a part of hardwood floor, so we won’t discuss it.
How to Choose the Quality Floor
Choosing hardwood, vinyl, or carpet can be complicated and difficult, and it’s not so much with the eucalyptus floor.
If you are worried about the VOC, then check for the brand’s certifications. Also check the finish.
You want to go with products that don’t contain formaldehyde.
You also want to choose floors with FloorScore certification and LEEDS credits.
If you are worried about dings and dents, choose the strand woven type and then check the Janka rating.
If you plan on installing the floor in areas with high foot traffic, then check for the wear layer. This is especially crucial if you have clumsy kids or pets. The colors and finish styles may vary, but length and thickness generally don’t.
The floor comes with 3 different installation styles: the floating floor (with locking system), the nail or staple floor, and the glue down type. If you want to install the floor on your own, go with click and lock milling.
The Most Popular Brands Eucalyptus Flooring
Up until now, there are several brands that are considered the best one in eucalyptus products based on eucalyptus flooring reviews. Each of them comes with their own certification, warranty, types, and prices.
- Ambient. It is $4.79 a square foot in solid strand type. It has IEQ 4.4, FSC, LEED MR6, MRc7, Carb Phase 2, and FloorScore certification. It has structural and lifetime wear warranty.
- Cali Bamboo. It is $5.99 a square foot in solid strand type. It has Mrc7, MRc6, Carb Phase 2, FloorScore, and LEED EQC 4.3 certification. It has residential 50-year warranty
- Versini. It is $3.99 a square foot in engineered type. It has GreenGuard certification. It comes in 50-year warranty.
- Pinnacle Portofino. It is $3.49 a square foot in engineered type. The certification is unknown. It comes in 25-year warranty.
The biggest issue about exotic material is the availability. When it comes to exotic type like eucalyptus floor, eucalyptus floor isn’t as popular as other types so it isn’t easy to find and the collections may not be many.
You can also check Pinnacle Portofino or Mohawk for the eucalyptus floor availability. You will have to do your own research, including for eucalyptus flooring reviews, as it would be difficult to find the lists.
Ambient
Ambient manufactures excellent flooring products, including bamboo. Although their eucalyptus lines aren’t many, they have 4 different shades.
Their planks are the hardest type because of the unique style and design. Ambient’s eucalyptus line is made from solid strand, but it doesn’t have any wear layer. The rating is 5300 on the hardness scale.
All of their boards come with groove and tongue millings. You won’t install them easily you will need glue or nail. They need acclimation times at around 72 hours.
There isn’t any rate for below-grade rooms or radiant heating system, but the floor can handle high foot traffic and pets quite good even better than other flooring types.
The beautiful boards are available in 4 different colors of Cocoa Bean Antiqued, Café Brown Antiqued, Malted Ale, and Tupelo Honey.
They have reasonable price tags. The company offers lifetime structural integrity as well as the finish.
Cali Bamboo
The company may specialize in bamboo, but they have several products (with eucalyptus base) within their fossilized collection.
They have 2 different products with also 2 different colors of Natural and Mocha floors. The boards are in the solid strand type ensuring their durability. In Janka scale, it is 3200 to 4000 rate.
The floor comes in tongue and groove as well as wide click and clock mechanism depending on your like.
This brand has various eco-friendly certifications. And when you have a serious concern in air quality and VOC, then this brand would be the best option.
With residential 50-year warranty, the floor can be easily found at Home Depot.
Versini
This product comes in several collections and the options are quite many. The eucalyptus floor is within Cosenza collection with various different shades.
Whereas other brands may come with classic colors, Versini offers unusual shades, such as Windsor, Pewter, or Dark Grey. If you prefer the natural pick, there are Mustang, Galena, and Baja.
The planks are handscraped with (aluminum) oxide finish. They can be stapled, nailed, floated, or glued.
The problem with this brand is that their products aren’t exactly easy to find.
So, it would be wise to gain access to the store locator so you can get the colors you want. With low price range and nice warranty, it is worth the extra efforts.
Read Also: AquaGuard Laminate Flooring Reviews
Conclusion Eucalyptus Flooring Reviews
So, those are the facts for eucalyptus flooring and what to expect from the floor.
Make sure to check each eucalyptus flooring reviews to know whether they are legit or not and then make your purchase.
