In recent years, bamboo flooring has become very popular among home and business owners for a variety of reasons.
Ithas a beautiful finish that adds elegance and naturalness to any room, and it costs50% less per square foot than hardwood. It is also an environmentally friendly alternative to wood.
However, as good as bamboo flooring is, it comes with some challenges and risks for professional installers.
Quality issues.
Notall bamboo flooring sold today is of high quality. There are about1,600species of bamboo, but only a few are actually suitable for flooring.
Most of the unsuitable bamboo imported into the country comes from China, where there are no regulations governing product quality. In order to make a quicker profit, many Chinese companies harvest bamboo before it is fully mature and has reached its potential. As a result, the quality of products varies greatly from company to company.
Low-quality bamboo is harvested too early and glued together with toxic adhesives that can easily dent shoes, furniture, children, pets and fallen objects. If the floors become dented, the finish can easily peel or flake off. This can lead to costly rewiring for installers. Indeed, many customers have complained of scratches and dents in the floor on the day of installation.
Currently,there are no useful quality standards or grading for bamboo flooring. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)hasbeen asked to develop standards, but the task is nearly impossible because many issues are beyond theNWFA’scontrol.For example, many of the early stages of the harvesting and manufacturing process in China are beyondNWFA’scontrol because they are subject to human error and corner cutting. The only way to set effective standards for bamboo is to control the entire process from start to finish.
Moisture control
Drying bamboo in factories is difficult because of the difficulty in measuring moisture content. Most Chinese factories do not dry bamboo to a set moisture content, as they do with wood. Instead, they dry it on a specific schedule.
Striped Bamboo Flooring Even if the bamboo is thoroughly dried, consistent moisture content seems to be a problem for all bamboo strip manufacturers. Bamboo expands vertically and horizontally. Because bamboo is very dense, the fibers are enveloped in glue and take a long time to acclimate in the field – sometimes several days or weeks depending on the local climate. Woven bamboo takes longer to acclimate than other types of flooring.
Installersmust give bamboo the same attention as the densest tropical species. Carefully measuring the moisture content of the bamboo material with an accurate wood moisture meter will help avoid problems during installation. Make sure the room is ready for use and give the floor enough time to reach equilibrium moisture content (EMC) before installation begins.
Molding problems.
Before installing a traditional bamboo floor, installers should check the planks for gray streaks. In most cases, this is the result of fungi attacking the bamboo within a few days of harvest.
Raw bamboo rots quickly and should usually be treated within two days of harvest. If the treatment is done too late, mold may appear on the finished floor, even if the fungus has died. In some cases, mold can remain and spread on the floor after installation, even if it is dry.
If mold is suspected on traditional bamboo panels, installers are advised to refrain from using them. Mold is unlikely on woven bamboo because the adhesive and curing process kills the spores.
Installation.
Extreme care must be taken when attaching bamboo to the floor substrate. Nails and staples can easily damage bamboo. Care must also be taken to keep surfaces clean when installing with adhesive. Glue on the surface of the flooring can be carefully removed, but it can be tricky.
Health concerns.
Howtolook at bamboo flooring To make flooring strips, bamboo must be glued together and compressed under intense pressure. The Chinese use urea and formaldehyde for gluing, which are known to cause serious health problems in some people.
The construction risk is the release of formaldehyde. Installers who have to cut or sand bamboo floors must wear masks and clothing that protects the skin. Formaldehyde is also an irritating gas, so the odor alone is unbearable.
Customerscan also get sick from off-gassingeven years after installation.
Bottom line.
Recently, bamboo as an alternative to traditional hardwood flooring has gained interest among home and business owners. The reasons for this are the wide variety of styles and colors available, as well as the wide range of options available.
