I went with the Cali Bamboo Fossilized (Stranded) Java. It looks nice and I am happy with it and there have been no issues with it smelling (It actually smells sweet when you cut it due to the carbonized sugars from the processing). We had to do a glue down since we could not get the nail guns to work without causing splits. But since this was on a second floor that was not a problem. It is very heavy and dense. I would recommend it based on my experience. Now if I can just convince my Wife to let me put Cork in the Living Room :) Here is a link that might be useful: Cali Bamboo Fossilized Java

Is there a reason nail down is preferred on floors with a wood subfloor? The flooring subcontractor will do whatever method we want, but he advised against nailing down bamboo. He said he occasionally sees dimpling of the nails visible on the surface of the wood and prefers glue or floating.

Thanks all of your for chiming in. And thanks suzannesl for posting the photos. I see what you mean that the same floor may appear in different colors when in different lighting. Your floor matches your dog! I told DH that the java color may be too close to cat puke (he once stepped in it not seeing it), but he says light color will show the stain from the cat puke. Who would have though the flooring color decision is tightly intertwined with our little furry companions. Anyhow, despite all your help, we still have not made up our mind yet. Maybe we'll do coin toss. One question though... Do you all have your floor nailed down, or floating? One installer told me about another reputable brand, Plyboo, who happens to be local (in SF Bay Area). Unfortunately, their wide plan of stranded bamboo only comes in click & lock type. For whatever reason, I got the impression that click & lock will look, feel, and sound temporary. Any thoughts on that?

Sophia Wheeler--no, it's not gall. Cancork promoted this as a DIY floor. We checked each step with them along the way. We hired a local general installer because there was not a specialist in the area, and Cancork said that was fine. The subfloor was within specifications. We checked that and, again, OK'd it with Cancork. Cancork told me at the time that they didn't tell me about adding a cork underlayment because "most people don't want to do it because of the expense, so we didn't think you'd want to." As for the peeling, it is not in one of the birdbath areas. The peeling is starting from a few very small spots (like 1x2 cm) in one area of the floor. The floor was prepped properly--exactly as per specifications by Cancork before applying the poly, and they specifically said only to vacuum carefully and then run a damp microfiber over it (no cleaning product) before applying the poly. They warned me against scratching the floor or abrading it before applying the poly. In fact, we had to prep it in sock feet to keep any abrasion from happening at all. I understand that things happen, but within 6 months, when we did everything as per Cancork's instructions and now they tell me that we didn't do it properly--that is truly gall.