Most Bamboo Flooring manufacturers offer their products in two constructions: Vertical Grain and Horizontal [sometimes referred to as “Flat”] Grain. These two Bamboo constructions result in very different visual styles, which you can see below.

You’ll be able to see more of the natural decorative knuckles (growth spurts) in the Horizontal/Flat Grain Bamboo flooring, because of the way the bamboo strips are orientated when manufactured.

In addition to the difference in graining above, you will also see there’s a difference in color. Natural [seen on the right] Bamboo Flooring offers the lighter natural color of the board. Carbonized [also referred to as “Spiced” or “Caramelized” and seen on the left above]  darker color that appears on Bamboo through a pressure heating process. This warm color is different and more beneficial than a stain because it is present through the entire thickness of the Bamboo board. If in the future you choose to sand and refinish your carbonized bamboo floor, you’ll simply be able to put a coat of finish on it and the flooring will retain its warm color. With stained products, in order to retain the color you’d have to re-stain the floor after sanding.

Some Bamboo Flooring manufacturers, like Teragren, also offer bamboo floors in a variety of other colors. These floors are stained, but still retain the Vertical or Horizontal grain that the Bamboo Floor was constructed with.