Floating Floor Best Hardwood? or Bamboo?

I am considering installing a timber floating floor over a new concrete slab.

I favour the Veneers over the Laminates, and the click-together over the glued.

I would like to choose a timber on the following priorities.

1. Environmentally friendly ie not unnecessarily ripping down old-growth forests

2. Hard-wearing

3. Cheap

4. Appearance (I don't mind the 3-plank veneers in the short lengths)

Tassy Oak seems reasonably priced - and when I lived in Victoria it was the standard hardwood flooring.

I am also considering Bamboo, but I have heard some bad reports about it - especially the click-together floating planks.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated

SkyHook

Hi Skyhook,

We had the bamboo laminate installed about a month ago (couldn't afford the 'real' stuff at $64 sq m. Had over 100sq m to do!!)

It was 12mm, high gloss. Looks superb, however has a tendancy to squeak/creak at times.

But throughout the threads I was searching at the time, there seemed to be a few people that had all sorts of wood flooring laid and had similar problems. Either self laid or professionally.

We ended up getting a professional to lay it. He made mention of the 'bad machining' of some of the pieces as they didn't fully join like they should have :(.

Have tried the talc suggestion, but didn't make that much of a difference.

We have found that the squeak occurs when you walk on it first thing in the morning (suspecting due to temperature drop overnight with the expansion/contraction thing).

After you walk on it a few times, the noise 'disappears'.

Over the weekend, being home the whole time, we never heard it after the 'first morning trample'.

Let's us know if there are any burglars during the night though!! :wink:

Hope others can help you out with assisting as I know it was stressful when we were trying to make such a decision.

Good luck :U