Has anyone had any experience of bamboo flooring. I have to say I had never heard of it until a friend announced he had recently bought some and was about to lay it in his home. must say it looks good but how does it wear?
Appreciate any comments
Gary Dean (UK)
I agree.
We installed it in a relative's den. It's nice, but I think it's overpriced. Black and Decker uses bamboo for current model Workmate tops, as it's cheap overseas. Here in the states, bamboo is priced like oak, without the durability.
Several of my friends have bamboo flooring. It's beautiful and they love it. I've been told there are several manufacturing techniques -- one uses strips which are flat and shave from the bamboo sprially. Another compressess them vertically under millions of pounds of pressure...
There's a bamboo floor store in Boulder, Colorado, wtih these all on display. Perhaps there's a bamboo floor store near you???? I didn't do a web search but maybe....
Two flooring contractors I talked to claim bamboo warps, cups, etc. even when installed correctly. My research shows bamboo is slightly HARDER than oak, and the finish they apply in China is equal to or greater than other pre-finished hardwood flooring. The engineered mahogany flooring I have came pre-finished with a 25 year warrantee, and can be sanded and refinished once or twice, so it'll outlive me and my house.
You better talk to another flooring contractor.
Look here
Gary, I have used the bamboo flooring and plyboo (like plywood, but solid, cross laminated bamboo) on a number of projects, but not floors. The info that I got with it said that using some ball test (they drop a steel ball on it, and measure the dent) the hardness is between cherry and oak. From working with it, I will agree. It sands nicely, cuts nicely, but when cross cutting you need to score a line, or put tape over the cut. It has long fiber and tends to have long tearouts if you don't. It takes finish nicely and glues nicely. I like the colors, and the fact that it is sustainable (they can reharvest every 4 years). For any good wood floor, if you want it to last and look good, you have a no shoes house. No dogs as well becuse the claws can do a lot of damage to any floor. As near as I can tell, it is very stable. robo hippy
It's pretty decent stuff. I used it for a wall (backsplash) and dining room floor It's tough as Oak and not hydroscopic. Only the solid is worthwhile for tough areas Just be aware that between the two types (v & h), there are grades of quality. Like everything else you can buy cheap crap, and spending more doesn't guarantee a better product. What I would agree with is that a "renewable" material is expensive!
We used it in our home remodel 4 years ago and are getting ready to install it in a new house we are building. My wife and I love the stuff. It has held up well so far . . . I disagree that it is expensive. If you search the net, you can find it cheap . . . approximately $2.50 per square foot, finished.
Rick
B a r r y wrote:
How is it for consistency in terms of thickness?
I installed a bamboo floor three years ago in a new sunroom I built for my daughter. It looks as good today as when it was new(and there is a great dane to help with the wear). I bought it from "Flooring Liquidators" or something close to that name. I believe they have outlets across the country here in the US but don't know about the UK.
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