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Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring has only been acknowledged in the United States during about the past ten years. A decade ago, only two companies imported the product, but today, there are more than eight companies importing this unique flooring material. The hardwood for bamboo flooring is actually not hard, nor is it wood. Bamboo is a member of the grass family of plants. The larger bamboo plants used in the production of flooring material come mostly from the Hunan province in southern China. The ‘sea of bamboo’ is owned by the government and individuals lease the right to harvest the bamboo.
The bamboo shoots are allowed to grow for two years while
they feed and nourish the plant, and then are harvested during the third year.
The hollow bamboo shoots are split and soaked in water which removes the starch.
The flattened strips are combined in layers with urea Formaldehyde glue and
are run through a heat press which fuses the glue and the bamboo veneer into
a solid mass which can be cut, shaped and milled to precise specifications
for your bamboo flooring. The hardness of the finished flooring which is somewhat
harder than red oak hardwood comes from the bonded adhesive more than from
the bamboo fibers.
The shaped and sanded bamboo flooring planks can either be unfinished or finished. The finishing process consists of a sealant which is urea formaldehyde based and can also be heat-fused. The hardwood planks which are tongue and groove edged can also be sealed on site with a clear sealant. By purchasing the prefinished bamboo flooring, contractors or homeowners save time and money on finishing labor and materials.
The color of the bamboo for bamboo
flooring is either a very
light wood with the bamboo markings or a somewhat darker hue which is produced
by steaming the bamboo strips, carbonizing the surface. The two colors may
appear in random patterns in the same pieces of wood, which makes for a beautifully
toned floor with high visual impact.
www.floorchamp.com is one of the companies importing the bamboo flooring into the United States at present. They provide the standard U.S. milled sizes of ½” x 3” x 4’ or ½’ x 5” x 4’. The prefinished products can be easily used as an installation over a subfloor where it will be glued into place or as an installation over a foam pad in which the entire floor actually floats from the edge.
The price of the bamboo flooring product is slightly higher
than that of equivalent hardwood products, but the positive factors of bamboo
as a ecologically friendly product may outweigh the somewhat higher cost. The
other negative aspect of flooring made of bamboo is the adhesive. It has a
significant smell when first installed in a house, which some people find intolerable.
Tests are underway to find another adhesive which will be less irritating.
The formaldehyde particulates are less significant than for a similar sized
piece of particleboard.
As demand for bamboo flooring increases, there is hope that
the growth of the raw material can keep pace with the demand.
For more details contact us at:
FloorChamp, Inc
944-D Rochelle Ave
Charleston, SC 29407
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