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Beware of Bamboo


Bamboo flooring has been a "hot" product in the market for the last couple of years and is quickly becoming the favorite choice by those inspired by the green movement. There is some concern however that deforestation is happening across China so that bamboo can be planted and harvested, because it grows quickly and is such a valuable economic resource. There is also a concern about the adhesives used to glue the products together. Many toxins are released in the atmosphere during the manufacturing process, which cause environmental concerns. I believe the exact opposite of green is deforestation and the release of chemicals into the atmosphere. So before you decide to purchase bamboo you might consider reading this post in its entirety. If you do decide to purchase bamboo flooring you have many options.

In this article I'm only going to focus on 3 different products and the problems you may incur with them. The products I'm going to talk about are natural, carbonized, or stranded. Natural bamboo is a yellowish to light blond color which is made in the vertical or horizontal pattern. Carbonized bamboo goes through a steaming process and is more brown in color which is also available for purchase in the vertical or horizontal pattern. The bamboo is cut through the center of the stalks, flattened out and pressed to achieve the horizontal look. Vertical bamboo is sliced, the pieces are stood up on its ends and glued together giving it more of a straight grained appearance. Stranded bamboo is made from the bamboo fibers that are fused together with little environmental impact and can be purchased in many colors.These three types of bamboo are considered solid in the industry.

The main problem associated with bamboo is that it is very prone to denting and scratches. Therefore not suitable with pets young children and high amounts of traffic. Another problem you will come across with bamboo is cupping. Cupping is a problem that appears as a rippling effect across your floor and is caused by moisture. Bamboo by nature is very susceptible to moisture. The slightest hint of moisture will cup the floor. The only real way to solve this problem is to use some sort of moisture vapor protection. Products like Bostik's MVP or Mapei's WFM will help protect the floor from having this problem, but can be quite expensive especially if the job you are doing is a large one. Engineered bamboo flooring is far more stable and less likely to have cupping issues, however the is an environmental footprint because of the formaldehyde and other toxins released during manufacturing.

If you decide to purchase bamboo I recommend buying the stranded version. It leaves virtually no environmental footprint and is a lot harder than traditional bamboo. It is however still susceptible to cupping. After all, bamboo is just a grass. We all know what grass does when watered. So be extremely careful because one little mistake can cost you lots of money.
Thanks,
The Floor Man
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