![]() ![]() Strand-woven can score nearly double that, around 3,270, comparable to Brazilian redwood. Though there is tremendous variation among products, vertical and horizontal bamboo floors typically score around 1,825 on the Janka scale (a universal hardness rating for flooring), harder than hickory. Click-together engineered planks are square-edged, as are some traditional horizontal or vertical bamboo floorboards. As with prefinished wood floors, micro-beveled edges help hide unevenness between planks. The standard for solid bamboo is 3¾ inches, but 4- to 6-inch widths are gaining ground. Expect to find unfinished planks at ¾ inch thick, to be sanded on-site. Made with a bamboo veneer atop a plywood or bamboo substrate for added stability, engineered planks are good for floating floors in damp or very dry environments. ![]() Solid boards come ½ to ⅝ inch thick engineered planks, ⅜ to ½ inch. ECOFusion How Eco-Friendly Is It, Really? Shown: Light Carbonized Engineered Strandwoven Bamboo, about $6.99 per sq. Off-gassing can occur with lesser-quality flooring made with adhesives containing urea-formaldehyde.Plus, the different types (see below) make apples-to-apples comparisons a challenge. All bamboo is not the same, and it can be hard to sort through the quality claims.It can scratch, even with a factory finish, just as wood does use doormats inside and protective pads with furniture.Extremely durable, a quality bamboo floor can last decades with care and minimal exposure to grit, high heels, and pets’ nails.Generally less expensive than a common hardwood by about $1 per square foot, and even cheaper in comparison with an exotic species. ![]() A fast-renewing resource, bamboo is ready to harvest in 5 to 6 years, about one-tenth the time it takes red oak to mature.Lumber LiquidatorsĮase of installation and affordability are pluses with this renewable material, but pay close attention to quality. Morning Star 5⅛-inch Antique Strand Bamboo, about $3.69 per sq. Shown: Wide planks that look like exotic hardwood warm up this white kitchen. Whether you’re simply looking for something a little different from what all your neighbors have or like the idea of remodeling with sustainability in mind-or just love the price-here’s what you need to know about buying and installing today’s bamboo flooring. “Strand-woven has changed bamboo’s reputation from an eco product to a major player, delivering the look and durability of Brazilian hardwoods for two-thirds the cost,” says Joel Hirshberg, president of Green Building Supply, which has been selling bamboo floors for 16 years. They also can be produced in an array of wood-look styles-from the familiar, like maple or walnut, to exotic species, like tigerwood and cumaru-that are quite different from what most people associate with the material. The major change: the introduction of superdense “strand-woven” bamboo, which can be milled into boards that are two and a half times as hard as red oak. In recent years, advances in manufacturing have enhanced its performance and diversified its appearance. After production and finishing, the bamboo floor is stronger and harder than almost any other wood.While bamboo flooring is not exactly new, having been around for two decades, it might as well be. Depending on the method of laminating or compressing the strips, a bamboo floor is created in the style Side Pressed (narrow strips side by side), Plain Pressed (wide strips side by side) or High Density ® (compressed under high pressure). After treating and drying, the strips are ready to be joined in several ways to make the final product. ![]() By increasing the temperature and pressure during the steam treatment a warm brown colour appears we call caramel. By treating bamboo with steam, the light brown colour becomes more intense and the yellow shade disappears, we call this Ecru. After harvesting, the Moso bamboo stems are split and the outer skin is removed. This means the bamboo can be used without destroying the forest. The bamboo stems grow from an underground root system and after 5 years a stem can be harvested, while the others continue to grow. Moso bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. ![]()
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