Bamboo: An Alternative Choice to Hardwood and Laminate
Bamboo is one of the newest and most exciting products to come into the flooring industry. Though initially passed off by some flooring professionals as a trendy product, bamboo has emerged as a proven flooring choice that is beautiful, durable, versatile, inexpensive, and very environmentally friendly. Because of these attributes the popularity of bamboo has grown tremendously in recent years. After understanding how bamboo is made, the different styles available, durability, and the environmental factor, you can decide for yourself if bamboo will be your latest flooring choice.
What Exactly is Bamboo Anyway?
Bamboo is actually a grass that can be found in almost all parts of the earth. The bamboo that is used for flooring however is primarily grown in China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. In these regions bamboo can grow up to three feet a day and can be harvested every five to six years. This harvesting does not kill the bamboo and in fact the bamboo will grow new stalks without the need for replanting. The end result is a product that has a Janka hardness rating of up to 25% greater than red oak and about equivalent to North American maple. And because bamboo is a grass, it is much more resistant to moisture than any hardwood, resulting in a product that expands much less than other hardwoods. Ultimately bamboo flooring is strong, durable, and can be sanded and refinished just like most hardwood floors, but is unrivaled in its positive environmental impact.
The Manufacturing Process
After the stalks have been cut down they are cut to prescribed lengths and then pushed against knives to product splits. These splits are then flattened and put through a four sided mill. Some of these splits are steamed to produce the carbonized color. Bamboo has natural sugars within it that when steamed will turn the bamboo to a rich brown color. Then the bamboo is kiln dried to remove most of the moisture. The kiln dried splits have glue applied to them and are hot pressed to form the planks. These planks are then fed into a planer that also cuts the tongue and grooves. From here they are sanded, finished, and boxed.
Horizontal, Vertical, and Strand Woven
Bamboo flooring comes in horizontal grain, vertical grain, and strand woven. Each of these styles features its own unique look and performance. Horizontal grain is made by laying the splits horizontally, stacked three high, and then gluing them together. The finished product gives an appearance of bamboo stalks where one can see the knuckles of the bamboo. Vertical grain is made by laying the splits vertically and gluing them together. This gives a unique appearance of long narrow strips where the knuckles are mostly hidden. Strand woven bamboo is made by mixing various scraps of bamboo with glue and compressing it. The final appearance is one that is very unique and random where one can see the knuckles occasionally. Vertical grain is typically about 2-5% softer than the horizontal grain. In the flooring world this is really a minute amount and should not be considered when choosing a style. The strand woven however can have a Janka rating as high as 4000 because of the compression that takes place during the manufacturing process. No wood's hardness can compare to strand woven bamboo.
Natural, Carbonized, Stained, and Handscraped
When bamboo flooring first was launched into the flooring world it was very limited in style and color. This has changed dramatically recently. Traditionally bamboo is sold as natural or carbonized. Natural bamboo is very light and has a blonde look to it. Carbonized bamboo is much darker and has a rich brown color to it. The carbonization process does make the bamboo about 5% softer than the natural product. One of the great things about natural and carbonized bamboo is that typically there is a little color variation between boards and also within the board itself. This adds to the unique character of bamboo flooring. In recent years there has been a few manufacturers providing stained bamboo in a wide assortment of colors. This has really opened up the door for customers who like the environmental aspects of bamboo but want more color options. One of the hottest trends today is handscraped flooring. Though primarily done on hardwood floors, a few manufacturers now have started doing this with bamboo. This gives a distressed look and can be found in a wide variety of colors as well.
Solid, Engineered, Longstrip, and Installation Methods
One of the best characteristics of bamboo is versatility in installation methods. Bamboo can essentially be installed in nearly all locations and is manufactured in many forms. Most of the bamboo sold today is a solid bamboo plank that is typically a three foot or six foot board, about 3 ¾ inches wide, and 5/8th's of an inch thick. The unique thing about solid bamboo is that it can be glued directly onto a concrete slab unlike a solid ¾ inch hardwood. This is because bamboo is a grass and is a lot more resistant to moisture than hardwoods. Solid bamboo can also be glued or nailed onto a plywood subfloor. It is not recommended to do a floating installation with any bamboo flooring that is less than four inches wide. A few manufacturers also make a solid longstrip product that is typically about six feet long and about 6 ½ inches wide. This can be glued, nailed, or floated. Another fairly popular option is a longstrip engineered bamboo. Nearly all engineered bamboo clicks together like a laminate floor and is designed to be floated. They could also be glued onto concrete if desired. These boards are typically about 7 ½ inches wide, six feet long, and about ½ inch thick. Typically the engineered bamboo products have a square edge which will give the look of a sand and finish on-site floor. All of the solid bamboo floors have a micro-beveled edge.
All of these options in styles and colors have increased the popularity of bamboo. Bamboo flooring can be found in some of the trendiest restaurants and hotels, as well as comfortable, casual homes. It is important to note though that bamboo is not for everybody. Many flooring sales representatives tend to talk about bamboo being as hard as a rock, when really it is just above average when compared to other hardwoods. Also, bamboo does not have a lot of grain so dents and scratches tend to be a little more noticeable. Most of us realize, all natural wood flooring products will dent and scratch. Expectations of a floor's performance should be set accordingly; floors are an integral part of everyday life, and will reflect their use and care. As a whole, when one considers its durability, versatility of installation, affordability, variety of style and color, and environmentally friendliness, bamboo is hard to beat as a flooring choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment