By itself, bamboo is not a suitable replacement for wood in flooring. Individual stalks of bamboo can be used in building, but flooring has to be broad and stable. To become a useful flooring material, bamboo must be shredded and then formed into regular shapes, such as planks and tongue-and-groove boards, under high pressure. As with cork, this loose material is held together with an adhesive or resin.

The adhesives and resins used to create bamboo flooring, transform an abundant natural resource into a durable building product. In keeping with the goal of environmental responsibility, manufacturers emphasize the use of adhesives that do not contain formaldehyde, and resins such as acrylic urethane that contain few or no volatile organic compounds. This helps the products meet standards for both green manufacturing practices and indoor air quality.

Once shredded bamboo is set in its new shape, it provides a flooring surface that is harder than red oak or maple, and thick enough to refinish several times. In tongue-and-groove boards, bamboo is available with vertical or horizontal grain, naturally colored or stained, finished or unfinished. Bamboo flooring is also made as a laminate, with a 1/8-inch wear layer of bamboo adhered to a backing made of pine or other softwood.