Some of the most common flooring materials include wood, ceramic and vinyl, and these work well for most common applications. But there are a lot of other flooring materials available, some as old as building itself, others representing the latest in high-tech materials science. We take a look a the best applications for many of these other less common materials, and see what might be the best flooring material for your application.

Bamboo is increasingly popular as a “green” alternative to traditional hardwoods for building products. As a construction material, bamboo is not only attractive, but quite durable as well. Here’s more information on the advantages of bamboo flooring.