You might think that Bamboo flooring is a new type of flooring; it is not. Bamboo is a type of sturdy wood that is extensively used for flooring purposes. We are going to tell you guys all about the bamboo flooring in the following section. The Great Hardwood flooring provides one of the best bamboo floorings in Chicago. Make sure to visit for further information. Well, getting back on the track, bamboo flooring is not a new concept. It comes in a variety of different designs and features. You might have seen wooden styled flooring in your friends or neighbor's house, well it is bamboo flooring. In the past few decades, bamboo floorings have received immense attention due to its durability and design.
Bamboo is a type of elongated grass; it can grow up to 80 feet within 5 to 6 years. Several companies are manufacturing bamboo flooring. However, real Bamboo is imported from China. From the Janka hardness test, we can conclude that Bamboo floors are quite sturdy and durable in nature.
The Bamboo used in floorings
Bamboo is biologically a type of grass. It is commonly available in homes as a decoration as well. However, the Bamboo used for the flooring is different from that. One of the primary types of Bamboo used in flooring is Moso Bamboo. It can grow to a height of up to 80 feet. In addition to this, the thickness can vary from 6 to 8 inches. The time for maturation of Moso Bamboo is up to 5 years. It can grow to a full adult by 5 to 6 years. Similarly, many other bamboos can be used for flooring purposes.
All you need to know about Bamboo
Bamboo or Moso Bamboo is usually grown in China. It can grow to full size in 5 to 6 years. With equal cutting, the bamboo plant can grow back to its original size. The government has initiated a license called Forest Stewardship council; however, it is not functional yet. For the finishes, floor score and Greengard are the two certifications. Moso Bamboo is a renewable resource, which means it can grow back within five to six years.
Vitals for Bamboo Flooring
If we talk about the price, it may vary from $2 to $10 per square feet depending upon the finishing and the material used in the bamboo flooring. If you think that you can do the bamboo flooring by yourself, well, if you capable of doing so, it is well and good for you. However, if you are a beginner, we recommend calling us. We, the great hardwood floorings, will provide you the complete solution to bamboo flooring. Bamboo floorings can be installed anywhere in the house, including kitchen, rooms, drawing rooms, and basements. However, bamboo flooring is prone to moisture and can damage due to it. In addition to this, you must also clean the water from the surface of the bamboo floor. It can cause water damage and stains.
How Bamboo flooring is made
Initially, the grass of full-grown Bamboo is sliced into ¼ and ¾ inch strips. These strips are bonded together with the help of robust adhesive material. After it, the flooring is made in three different types.
Horizontal
Strips are joined together from each edge, which gives maximum use of stalk of the grass. This will provide the classical look. After this, the offset layer is added to add further strength and increase durability.
Vertical
In vertical type, the strips are glued with cut edges. In this way, the dents are not visible. This also shows a classical wooden look. However, Vertical type of bamboo flooring is not usually stained.
Strand Woven
This is the third type of bamboo flooring. In this, the strips are drenched into adhesive. These strips are laid in different ways, which will provide an excellent and exciting new design. Once the pieces are placed in the adhesive material, it is pressed with the help of the hydraulic press. This is usually dense and tough as compared to vertical and horizontal type bamboo floorings.
Characteristics of Bamboo floors
Well, there are certain features of bamboo floors. We are going to tell you guys about them under this heading.
Thickness
There are generally two types in bamboo floorings. The one is a solid board that comes in 0.5 to 0.625 inches and engineered floor, which comes in 0.375 to 0.5 inches. An engineered floor is usually used in damp and dry places, which can last long.
Width
The standard width of the Bamboo is 3.75 inches. After finish, the width of the Bamboo will reach from 4 to 6 inches.
Hardness
The hardness of bamboo flooring is different in different types. The hard is measured in Janka, which is a standard unit. For vertical and horizontal styled bamboo flooring, the hardness value is 1825. For the Strand Woven style, the hardness value is 3270. This indicates that Strand Woven style bamboo flooring is more robust and hard and can be used in those areas where there is more traffic.
Finishes
The glossier finish shows more scratch on the floor. To get a more durable and excellent finish, do use a factory applied finish. However, it does require more skill as compared to others.
Air Quality
The air quality must also be kept in the mind while applying the finish. Most of the finish, especially adhesive, resins gas off the formaldehyde, which is a VOC. Therefore use only those finishes that have Greenguard certification.
Finish Options
The finish is one of the essential things in any kind of flooring. It makes the floor looks beautiful and increases its durability. These are the three types of finish available for the customers.
Factory Finish
This is one of the most durable types of finish available in the market. 2 to 10 coats of aluminum oxide is used in this type of finish. The coating in Factory finish provides superior wear resistance.
Oil Finish
This is typically used in most of the finishes. Oil finish is a wax-based coating that is made from beeswax, Linseed oil, and carnauba wax. The look of the oil finish is great. In addition to this, most of the scratches can also be reduced with the help of oil wax. In the case of refinishing, you can sand off the previous finish and can apply the new one. It might need to refinishing every ten years, depending upon the condition.
Unfinished
Some people also prefer the unfinished wooden floor. These wood floors are not stained or coated with any material. It is only sanded after the installation to make it soft and equal from each side. Some people choose custom stain and finishes for the custom style bamboo wooden flooring.
Pros and Cons of Bamboo Flooring
Just like every type of flooring, bamboo flooring also has certain pros and cons associated with it. In this section, we will all the pros and cons of bamboo flooring.
Pros
- The following are the pros of bamboo flooring.
- Good quality bamboo flooring is usually durable. However, certain types of bamboo flooring are not permanent. Therefore, you must see the warranty before purchasing any kind of flooring.
- Bamboo flooring usually provides a clean and neat look to the users.
- You can clean the bamboo floor with the help of a dry mop or wet mop.
- Bamboo floors can also be refinished. Refinish provides a totally new floor.
- Multiple layers of the finish are applied over the bamboo floors, which will make it look cool.
- Bamboo can easily be harvested in 5 – 6 years, whereas, other takes more time.
- Bamboo flooring is generally less expensive than other hardwood flooring.
- You can also refinish the bamboo floor, which will make it new.
Cons
- The following are some of the cons associated with bamboo flooring.
- Low quality and cheap bamboo flooring are much vulnerable to scratches and cracks.
- Bamboo has the capacity to absorb water. In the case of damp and moisture places, the Bamboo can absorb it and will get water damage.
- The design of Bamboo is unique. It doesn't fit with other types.
- There are limited shades available for the customer in bamboo floorings.
- With low-quality bamboo, it is much prone to scratches.
- Water can damage the bamboo floors. Therefore, you must keep it safe from the water and moisture.
How to install Bamboo flooring
Installing bamboo flooring is not that difficult. You can do it on your own if you have time and experience. However, if you are inexperienced, we may suggest you call the great hardwood flooring; we have one of the best professionals who can do this task for you. They will inspect the whole area and will install the floor technically.
There are generally four types of installation of the planks for the bamboo floorings.
Floating the floor
In this method, the dust is removed from the floor and lay the under layer. After that, place the spacer and start placing the planks. You might need to apply glue to join the planks one by one. When the whole room is completed, now you might need to cut some of the planks for the last row. In some cases, you might not need to cut.
Nailing the floor
In this, you might need some nails. You have to attach the floor to your wooden subfloor. However, this is only good if your subfloor is made of wood. In the case of concrete, this will not work for you.
Installation Tips
Here are some tips that you must keep in mind before installing the bamboo planks on the floor.
Acclimate boards
This first and the most important thing to keep in mind is acclimating the boards, as mentioned earlier, that Bamboo has the capacity to absorb moisture from the environment and surroundings. Therefore, before installing the bamboo flooring, you have to place the board in the room to absorb the moisture and not expand further. In the case of vertical and horizontal type bamboo flooring, you might need to wait for 2 to 3 days. However, in the case of Strand-Woven, it takes more days. In some cases, you may have to wait for the whole month.
Evaluate the substrate
Well, in this part, you need to evaluate the substrate and subfloor. If the floor is made from the concrete, you might need glue to stick the bamboo floor. Or you might need to float over foam.
Enjoy the radiant heat.
If the temperature of the heat doesn't increase from the one which is mentioned in the instruction manual, you can enjoy the radiant heat.
Versatile and Stylish flooring
One of the best things in Bamboo flooring is that it is available in versatile and impressive styles. It has non-slip and non-stick capacity. In addition to this, it is also insect resistant. However, you need to take care of your bamboo floor from moisture and water.
Final Words
Well, there are specific pros and cons of bamboo flooring. However, the pros are more than the cons. Bamboo flooring is quite durable and sturdy. They can be installed on any place from rooms to the kitchen, from the drawing-room to the office. You can also install bamboo flooring in the shops as it made from quite hard and tough material.
We The Great Hardwood flooring provides the hardwood flooring to our customer. If you wanted us to do your task, simply contact our representative, and we will visit your place. In this article, we have told you guys all about bamboo floorings. There are pros over the cons in the bamboo flooring. In addition to this, you can also apply to refinish the bamboo floorings.
