Introduction to Bamboo Flooring• Bambooisnotawood,butareedgrassthatgrowsinmanydifferentclimatesandregionsfromjunglestomountainsides.
Withover1,000species,itisclassifiedbyitsrootsystem,andrangesinheightfrom1’togianttimberbamboosmeasuring100’.BambooismainlyimportedfromAsia,VietnamandChina.
• Bamboogrowsfasterthananyotherplant,andregeneratesfromitsoldroots(somespeciesgrowing18”/day),andcanbeharvestedin3-5years.Thismeansthatitisself-perpetuating(eveninvasive),anddoesnotrequirecostlyreseedingorplantingonceharvested.
• Prematureharvestingand/orproductiontechniquesusedbythemillsinsomeAsiancountriesaresomewhatcontroversialwithintheindustry,andrequireconsiderationandinvestigationbytheflooringmanufacturer.
• Asaflooringmaterialbamboocanbepurchasedinsolidorengineeredforms,finished/unfinished.Itcanbeinstalledasstrips,planksorasafloatingfloor.
Quality of Bamboo Flooring• Mosoisthemostcommonlyusedspeciesofbamboousedforarchitecturalproducts.• Mosospeciesgrowstoarapidheightoffortyfeet,andthenitmatures.Thematuringprocessiskeytostability.Ifcutearly,
beforefiveyears,bamboowillbesofterandinferior.• Mosobamboohasa90%fiberto10%starchratio,makingitverystableanddurable.• Mosoforestsareamixedagefrom1-5years.Inasustainableharvestedforest,onlyfive-yeargrowthor20%ofthefor-
estiscutannually.80%oftheforestisleftintact,maintainingthenaturalhabitat.100%oftheforestcanbeharvestedsustainablyinafive-yearperiod.
• MosogrowsinitsnativeenvironmentinChinaandshouldrequirenoirrigationorfertilizers.Bamboohasfewifany,peststocontendwith.
• BamboostalkiscalledCulm(pole).Themostcommonmethodfordatingbambooculmsisbythetalcontheupperlipofthenode.Youngerplantshaveachalkywhitecoating.
• Harvestingbambooisdonebyhandwithasmallmachete.Theleavesandsmallestbranchesaretrimmedandleftformulch.Theculmsarelashedtogetherandhandcarriedoutofthemountains.
• Culmsaresoldbyweight.TheoldertheCulm,theheaviertheweight,thebetterthepriceforthefarmerreinforcingtheconceptofsustainableforestry.
• Onceculmsareweighedandsold,theyarecutinto2’to13’andthensplitintoroughstrips.• Qualityisimportanttoverifywithmanufacturer.Askifthecompanyisknowledgeableabouttheproductandthemanufac-
turingprocess?Dotheyhavereputablethirdpartyconfirmationtheirstatedqualityclaims?Whatistheirrelationshipwiththefactoryandtheforestprovider?IsthecompanyFSCCertified?
• Lowercostbambooproductscanuseadhesiveswithhigherformaldehydecontent.Anyonecanclaim“noaddedurea-formaldehyde”withoutsubstantialproof.
Styles: referstotheorientationofthebamboostrip
FlatGrain:showsthefacesideofthebamboostrip(typically¾”nodesdisplayed)Harder.
Edgegrain:showedgeofbamboostriptypical3/16”nodes.Hard.
EndGrain:Showstheinternalfiberstructureofthebamboosstrip.Very hard.
Strand:Usesstripsthatarecrushed,mixedwithphenol-basedbinderandcompactedunderpressure.Canbe threetimesashardasredoak.Performswillunderveryhightrafficapplications.Hardest overall.
Bamboo FlooringKacyChilds-Winston,AlexisRushing&BrookeThompson
TRENDS• Accordingtolocalsuppliers,Strandbambooisthemostpopularsalesreprecommendationandconsumerchoice.• Strandbambooisthemostdurabletypeofbambooavailableonthemarket.TraditionalHorizontalandVerticalbamboo
stylesare2xashardasRedOak,Strandbamboois3xashardasRedOak.• Bambooflooringisthestrongestandbestqualityhardwoodflooringavailableonthemarket.• CompanieslikeStarbucks,Nike,GuessandDonnaKaranhavealreadycompleteddesignprojectsutilizinggreenprod-
uctssuchasbamboo.• Strandwovenbamboofeaturesacontemporarylookwithflowinggrainfiberswithlittlevariation.Amoremodernoptionin
bambooflooringisverticalgrain,whichhasalongandlineargrain.• Thebiggestcolorsinbamboothisseasonworkinalmostanypaletteandincludecoffee,gunmetalandtiger.Manufacturing and Construction Techniques• Theouterlayeroftheharvestedbamboostalkisremovedandslicedintofillets/longstrips.Thebambooisthengraded.
Stripsarethenkilndriedtolockinsomemoisturepriortofinalmillingtoavoidtoohighamoisturecontentthatmaylatershrinkandgapwheninstalled.Driedfilletsaregluedtogethertoformplanks,andplanksarehotpressedtoformaper-manentbond.Finalmillingformstraditionaltongueandgroovehardwoodfloor-styleboards.
• Strandbambooisawasteproductofthemillingprocess.• Stripsareprocessedwithafour-sidedplanertostraightenthensoakedinabathofhotwaterwitha1%hydrogenperoxide
toeliminateanypossibilityofpestandtoremoveanyexcessstarch.• Stripsarekilndried.• Carbonizingturnsnaturalproductintoambercolor.Therearenostains;thecarbonizingprocessbakesthoughtheprod-
uct,makingcolorinherent.• Stripsarethenlaminatedtogetherintosingleplypanels.Orientationoflaminationthatdeterminesthestyle:flatgrain,
edgegrainandendgrain.• Manufacturersgradebambooforqualityandlowerqualitybambooflooringisoftenheavilydiscountedduetotheuseof
thislowerqualitybamboo.• Qualityandenvironmentalconsiderationshouldbegiventowhetheramanufacturerhasusedhigh-formaldehydeglues
and/orhighVOCfinishingproducts.
Bamboo Flooring Use & Durability• Therearethreebasicorientationstyles:horizontal,verticalandstrand-woven(twiceashardastheothers).• Horizontalv.vertical–dependsonthepositioningofthestalksinthemanufacturingpriortothegluingprocess.Thebam-
boostalkiseitherrunninghorizontally(shorterpieces)orvertically(longerpieces)withintheplankitself,andthisresultsinadifferentappearanceintheflooringplank.Durabilityofoneovertheotherisdebatable.
• Strand-woven(a/k/adistressedbamboo)manufacturingprocess–Leftoverbamboofromtraditionalplankmanufacturingprocessisshreddedandlaminatedwithanadhesive,andthenformed/sealedunderhighpressure.Finalmillingformsawood-flooringplank.Thisisconsideredtobethemostdurablestyle.Thisincreaseddurabilitymakesinstallationofthisdenserproductmorechallenging.
• Ifadarkercolorationisdesired,duringthemanufacturingprocessthefilletsaresteamedunderpressureor“carbonized.”.Thisprocessweakensthebamboo,andshouldbeconsideredwhenconsideringtheapplicationofthefinishedproduct;however,itdoescreateaninherentcolorinthebamboo.
• Bambooisconsideredtobeoneofifnotthestrongesthardwoodflooringmaterial,andistwiceasresilientasRedOak.Nicksandscrapes,however,aremorevisiblewhentheyoccuronbamboobecausethecolorismoreuniversalthanthatofgrainedwood.
• Bambooflooringisdurableandscoresbetterthanhardwoodsinhardness,dimensionalstabilityandflammabilitytests.• Themorepliesusedinmanufacturing,themorestable(lessshrinkageandexpansion).Usually3-plybambooisusedin
floatingfloorsystems(a/k/alongstripfloors.),71/2”incheswide,and74to87inchesinlong.• Engineeredbamboousesathinveneerofbamboooverstructuralplywood.Duetothethinveneeritwilllikelywithstand
onlyonerefinishinginitslifecycle.Thinveneeredbamboodentseasilyandcanchangecolorwhenexposedtosunlight.
Sustainability & code related considerations• Environmentallyfriendlyandsustainablenaturalresourcethatrequireslittleagriculturallabor(noreplanting),energyir-
rigation,andisnaturallypestresistant.Comparedtohardwood,bamboodelivers25timesmoreusablefiberperacre/peryear,andremovesabout33%moreCO2fromtheair.
• Bambooisthefastestgrowthsegmentinthehardwoodflooringindustryatanannualrateofabout30%.• Bambooiseasytoclean,andresistsmoistureandstains.Recommendedmaintenanceincludessweepingorvacuuming
andmoppingwithadampmopand/ornon-abrasivecleaner.• FSCisanindependent,non-governmental,not-for-profitorganizationestablishedtopromotetheresponsiblemanage-
mentoftheworld’sforests.FSCisanindependent,non-governmental,not-for-profitorganizationestablishedtopromotetheresponsiblemanagementoftheworld’sforests.
• FSCcertificationprovidesacrediblelinkbetweenresponsibleproductionandconsumptionofforestproducts,enablingconsumersandbusinessestomakepurchasingdecisionsthatbenefitpeopleandtheenvironmentaswellasprovidingongoingbusinessvalue.
• FSCisnationallyrepresentedinmorethan50countriesaroundtheworld.• LaceyActstartedsustainableforestryintheearly1900’s,whichreflectsgreateraccountabilityinthesourcingoftimber
products.TheFSCisathirdpartyapprovedsteward.• Formaldehydeisaknowcarcinogen.In1992formaldehydewasdeterminedtoxic,andmanyofthecompositeproducts
usedtomakebuildingmaterialswereregulatedinCalifornia.
Local SourcesStrawSticks&Bricks1739WalnutStreetKansasCity,MO64108-1315(816)421-7171
ProSource8337NiemanRoadOverlandPark,KS66214-1511(913)599-4488
ElementsofGreen1919WyandotteKansasCity,MO64108816.842.0500
Recommended Manufacturers• Teragren:http://www.teragren.com/• Plyboo:http://www.plyboo.com/
Bamboo Floor Pricing Information• Bambooiscompetitivelypricedwithhardwood,issimilarlyinstalled,andcomesinavarietyofcolors.• TeragrenPricingRange• Wholesale:$3.50-$8.00SF• Retail:+50%• Quality is a strong consideration when selecting any surfacing product. Know your product before you buy.
Installation Information• BambooissimpletoinstallasaDIYprojectorbyaprofessionalforapricesimilartohardwoodflooring.• Applicationofsubfloorisextremelyimportant.Aflooringproductisonlyasstrongasitsfoundation,i.e.subfloor.• Canordermaterialunfinishedandpre-finished.Finishedwillhaveabeveltominimizescratchingandunfinishedwillnot.• Specifyatopcoatfinish,checkwithmanufacturer.• Bambooflooringcanbesandedandrefinishedmultipletimes.• Trimandmoldingsareavailablethroughmostmanufacturers.
JobsiteRequirements• Priortoinstallationofanyflooring,theinstallermustensurethatthejobsiteandsubfloormeettherequirementsofthese
instructionsandarecompatiblewithindustrystandards.• Roomtemperatureandhumidityofinstallationareashouldbeconsistentwithnormal,year-roundlivingconditionsforat
leastaweekbeforeinstallation.Roomtemperatureof50-75degreesFandhumidityrangeof35-65%isrecommended.• Extremetemperatureandhumidityswingscancauseproblemsforyourfloor.• Storeflooringattheinstallationsiteforatleast72hoursbeforeinstallationtoallowtheflooringtoadjusttoambient
conditions,includingroomtemperatureandhumidity.Donotstoredirectlyonconcreteornearoutsidewalls.Opentheboxes,removeanyplasticwrappingandspreadtheflooringtoandletitbreathe.Notethatthisfloormaynotbeaccept-ableforbathroominstallationsduetoexcessivemoistureassociatedwithsuchenvironments.
AcceptableSubfloortypes:• PlywoodorOSB3/4”orConcreteslaborExistingwoodfloor3/4”orgreater• SubfloormustbeStructurallysound• •Prep:Thoroughlysweptandcleanalldebrisandloosematerialfromthesubfloorsurface• Level:Flatto3/16”per10-feetradius• Dry:Subfloormustbedryyear-round.Moisturecontentofwoodsubfloormustnotexceed12%;concretemoisture
contentmustnotexceed3lbs.astestedusingthecalciumchloridemethod.MoistureControl:• Ifthemoisturecontentinaconcreteslabexceeds3lbs.,ordryconditionscannotbeconfirmedyeararound,amoisture
vaporprotectionsystemmustbeutilized.• Newconcretemustbefullycured,atleast60days.• Woodsubfloorsmustbedryandwellsecured.Nailorscrewevery6”alongjoiststoavoidsqueaking.Ifnotlevel,sand
downhighspotsandfilllowspotswithanunderlaymentpatch.FurtherNotes:• Flooringshouldbethelastproductinstalledonanynewconstructionorremodelproject.Intheeventthatyourflooris
notthelastproductinstalledatajobsite,youmustprotectthefloorduringcontinuedconstruction.• Neverapplytapedirectlytothefloorsurface.Thisincludes3MScotch-BluePainter’stape.MethodsofInstallation:• NailDownInstallation:• Glue-DownInstallationFinishingthejob• ForUnfinishedFloors:Seal,stainandfinishasotherhardwoodflooring.Allqualityfinishesworkwell,butalwaysremem-
bertotestasmallareatoconfirmexpectedresults.CleaningandMaintenance• Thefollowingsimplestepsshouldatleastbeusedtoensurethebestperformanceandappearance.Theuseofother
productslikewax,wateroroilsoapsshouldbeavoidedanduseofanysuchproductsisatyourownrisk.• Afteryourfloorhasbeeninstalled,floorprotectorsshouldbeplacedunderthelegsofchairsandtables.Doorsleading
totheoutsideshouldhavefloormatsplacedbothinsideandout.• Yourfloorshouldbecleanedweeklywiththeuseofasuctionvacuum(butavoidanyabrasiverotarybrushvacuum)to
removegritanddebrisfromthesurfaceoftheflooring.• Highertrafficfloorsmayrequiremorefrequentcleaningtokeepfloorfreeofgritandabrasivedebristhatcan• damageyourfloorandfinish.Refinishing:• Whenrefinishingisnecessary,andthefloorhasbeenmaintainedproperly,afloorwithasiteappliedfinishorafactory
finishcanberecoatedbyaprocessofcleaning,lightabrasion,andreapplicationofanappropriatefinishproduct.• Ifafullremovalofthefinishisrequired,thefloorcanbesandedtowoodandanewfinishsystemcanbeapplied.
Bamboo Product Comparison• Outof50flooringstested,ConsumerReports,reportedintheAugust,2009,issueofitspublicationthat,3ofitstop4floors
werecomposedofbamboo.ThetopratedflooringproductwasstrandwoveandmanufacturedbyEcoTimber.
Flat Sports Edge Strand End
Summary Bambooisanaturalresourcewithunlimitedapplications.Itisagrassofmanyvarietals.Bamboogrowsfasterthananyotherplant,isnaturallypest-resistant,selfregenerates,andrequireslittleagriculturallaborforeitherplantingorharvesting.Whenmanufacturedintoaflooringproduct,itisdurable,aestheticallypleasing,easilyinstalled,andeasilymaintained.Ithasbecomeatoughcompetitoragainsttraditionaloakhardwoodflooringbothindurabilityandpricing,andisthefastestgrowingentryinthehardwoodflooringindustry.
Bambooflooringisafantasticoptionforadurable,multi-facetedandsustainableinstallation.Conscientioushar-vestingandmanufacturingiskeytoaquality,longlastingflooringsurface.FSCCertifiedbambooisreadilyavailablefromreputablemanufacturersandlocalsuppliersforaminimalcostdifferenceabovenon-FSCCertifiedproducts.Researchmanufacturesthoroughlytoensuresustainablemethodswereusedtoharvestandprocessthematerial.Wellresearchedandqualityproductsmustbeinstalledtothehighestregardtomanufacturerspecifications.Aswithanyflooringinstallation,yourfinishedfloorisonlyasdurableasthesubfloorwhichitisinstalledupon.LocalsuppliersrecommendStrandbamboofordurability,strengthandaesthetics. Bambooflooringisforanyonethatiseco-consciousorlookingforanalternativetohardwoodfloors.Sinceit’sarenewablesource,it’seasyforconsumerstoreplaceifneeded.Itisordinarilyharderthanmanyotherhardwoodsusedforflooringpurposes.Somespeciesofbamboohavehardnessratingsdoublethatofredoak,andbambooisnearlyalwaysratedhigherthanmaple.Anothergreatfeatureofbambooisthatitisresistanttomoisturemakingitagreatalternativeforkitchensandbathrooms.
Samples
Bibliography
“BambooinaSustainableDesignEnvironment.”McGrawHillConstructionContinuingEducation.2011.<http://continuinge ducation.construction.com/crs.php?L=150&C=479>
ElementsofGreen.2011.<http://www.elements-of-green.com/>
Plyboo.2011.<http://www.plyboo.com/>
ProSource.2010.<http://www.prosourcefloors.com/lenexa/Pages/default.aspx>
StrawSticks&Bricks.2010.<http://www.strawsticksandbricks.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=10&chapter=1
Teragren.2011.<http://www.teragren.com/>
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