We have bamboo floors in our kitchen. They are a lighter color so dirt doesn't really show all that much which is nice. They do dent easily, and you can tell where we pulled the refrigerator out to finish installing. In addition, they wear saw blades out much quicker than other woods. This was something we were warned about before choosing bamboo, and were told there would be an upcharge for an extra blade. The installer did indeed have to use a second blade, so if you are planning on installing yourself keep that in mind.

Just this week, we chose to use commerical carpet over bamboo flooring. The main reason for changing our minds was in regard to the scratching. We used a screwdriver to test our sample piece, which was a medium oak color, and without pressing real hard, we had white scratch marks. We had been under the impression that since it was solid bamboo, it would be the same color all the way thru. NOT so.

There were bamboo floors already in our kitchen when we bought our house. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. Gaps have formed in many many places and fluids go right through. Its scratched all over, although with the light color, you can't really see it unless you're looking.

Got strand bamboo flooring 6 months ago, and still looking good. Way harder than oak, the strand style of bamboo is the recycled bits of bamboo from other applications that is compressed together (doesn't have the visible "joints" of typical whole-reed bamboo). I have a thin washable rubber mat where the sink is, and I'm thinking of getting one to go in front of the stove. There are a few very tiny scratches probably from grit that was under a hard shoe, but we have a stain pen we got at the hardware store and the scratches completely disappear. I don't think dirt is too much more visible than the "stone" vinyl of our old place, plus if it's visible, I'm more inclined to clean more often (in my case this is a good thing). It was very easy to install and no gaps any where.

We bought a house with brand new bamboo floors in every room a few years ago, and sold the house after living in it for three years.They had a very solid feel, even though our house was raised above the ground, yet still felt comfortable to walk and stand on. I've had many places with hardwood, and these didn't seem to dent/scratch as easily as others but definitely wore out more quickly. By the time we had moved out the floors were visibly worn in high traffic areas, and had developed some gaps and cracks between boards. The floors we had would not have lasted more than ten years with the amount of wear two adults, a toddler and two small dogs were putting on them. I will add that ours were on the cheap end, and possibly a higher quality finish/installation would have prevented these problems. Also, we had them in the kitchen and I never experienced any problems with warping or staining. I think hardwood in general is a great option for the kitchen as long as you don't let spills just sit there for long periods of time.