First, the advantages of bamboo flooring as a hardwood wood flooring alternatives
Today, bamboo flooring is becoming a popular alternative to traditional hardwood wood flooring for several reasons. First of all, bamboo flooring is relatively inexpensive and the cost is more affordable. Secondly, bamboo is fast growing and grows much faster than traditional hardwoods, which makes the environmental costs associated with bamboo flooring production quite low. Further, depending on how it is manufactured and treated, bamboo is able to provide much greater hardness and durability than hardwood, and has been reported to be up to three times as hard as oak. In addition, bamboo flooring is also highly resistant to insects and moisture, making it more suitable for use in moisture-prone areas such as kitchens than traditional hardwood flooring.
Second, the characteristics and sources of bamboo
Is bamboo “wood”?
Although finished bamboo flooring looks, feels and behaves similar to traditional hardwood timber in many ways, technically bamboo is a grass. There are more than 1,450 species of bamboo, and different species grow in different ways and have very different characteristics. In most cases, bamboo flooring is made from moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis). Bamboo is a plant that requires a lot of water, and most of the bamboo currently used for bamboo flooring comes from overseas, mainly China, where production costs are much lower.
Is bamboo flooring “greener” than wood flooring?
In many ways, bamboo flooring is indeed more environmentally friendly than wood flooring. The great thing about bamboo is that it grows extremely fast, in some cases up to one meter in a day. Bamboo culms are usually harvested when the bamboo is between 4 and 7 years old and are produced every year from then on. In contrast, fast-growing hardwood trees provide only a one-time timber yield and may take at least 15 years to reach “maturity,” when the wood is suitable for harvesting. Many valuable hardwood timbers take even longer. While in the past there has been a lack of regulation and oversight of the bamboo flooring industry, in recent years there has been a growing push for responsible and sustainable farming methods that do not compromise biodiversity. Many bamboo manufacturers now strive to ensure that their products are grown in a way that does not harm existing forestry, and some hold Forest Stewardship Certification (FSC certification).
- Moisture resistance and treatment of bamboo flooring
One of the main selling points of bamboo flooring is that it is less porous and technically more resistant to moisture than traditional hardwood flooring. As a result, bamboo flooring is considered a less risky option than hardwood and can be installed in places like kitchens and laundries. However, bamboo flooring is still susceptible to some moisture. While it can be installed over a concrete slab or over a wood subfloor, many installers recommend installing a moisture barrier underneath the boards to minimize the risk of “cupping” (i.e., curling of the edges of the boards). Some manufacturers address the cupping issue by designing a sandwich in the center of the floor. When cupping occurs, the floor can be sanded flat again, but this can wear down the edges of the boards and can be a problem for tongue-and-groove boards.
The process of making bamboo flooring
The bamboo flooring seen in Australia is extensively processed and transformed into a flooring / tile type product. First, the outer skin and knots of the bamboo are cut off and then the bamboo is cut into strips of uniform width. Since bamboo is strongest when starch and sugar are removed, these strips are usually boiled in boric acid to remove these elements. Once this is done, the bamboo strips are dried and can then be steam and heat treated, or “carbonized.” Carbonization will darken the color of the bamboo, but it will also significantly reduce its hardness.
Horizontal and Vertical Lamination
Vertically laminated bamboo flooring is made by placing bamboo strips on their thinnest edges and laminating them together, giving the finished boards a “striped” appearance. Horizontally laminated bamboo flooring is made by placing bamboo strips on their widest edges and laminating them together to produce a board that displays the characteristic nodes of bamboo.
Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring
Strand woven bamboo flooring is usually much more expensive than other types of bamboo flooring (often twice the price), but is very hard and durable when properly made. The best Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring can easily outperform almost any hardwood timber in terms of hardness.Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring is made by pounding, weaving and binding together softened individual strands of bamboo, which are then compressed under heat with an adhesive to form a block and then cut into boards. Depending on personal taste, these boards can be made from “natural” colored bamboo (lighter), carbonized bamboo (darker) or a combination of tiger stripes.
Planks and planks
Once made into planks, bamboo flooring is usually cut into straight boards that can be nailed or glued together, or formed into tongue and groove boards that snap together. The edges of the planks are usually slightly beveled to facilitate installation.
- Surface treatment and maintenance of bamboo flooring
Bamboo flooring requires several coats of polyurethane, acrylic, and a variety of other finishes that combine with aluminum oxide to form a protective barrier that helps maintain the appearance and integrity of the boards. Careful maintenance of this finish is important to ensure that the panels do not scratch or deteriorate, and most manufacturers provide specific maintenance instructions that need to be strictly followed to maintain the warranty.
- Volatile Organic Compounds and Health Concerns with Bamboo Flooring
Like many laminated wood products, bamboo flooring requires adhesives to hold the bamboo components together. These adhesives are usually volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can release toxic gases into the air, especially if the product is newer. Most bamboo flooring is laminated using urea-formaldehyde (UF), which does emit some VOCs into the air, albeit in relatively small amounts compared to other products such as medium density fiberboard (MDF). For this reason, some products avoid using urea formaldehyde for lamination.
