| Author |
Message |
Anne Stenger (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2018 - 11:03 am: |    |
It's been a long time since this topic has come up in our firm and I'm curious to hear other's perspectives on bamboo products, especially flooring. For years our office has had a policy of not specifying bamboo products because of poor quality issues and bug infestations, from way back in the early 2000's. 15 years later, have the products improved at all? |
Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: michael_chusid
Post Number: 406
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2018 - 06:05 pm: | |
I have used plyboo by smith and fong for personal projects and have been satisfied.
Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS 1-818-219-4937
www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru |
Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski
Post Number: 2158
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2018 - 10:06 pm: | |
A friend used bamboo flooring in her kitchen/dining area and is quite unsatisfied. Water spots the floor and it is difficult to remove the spots. |
Guest (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 - 11:48 am: | |
I've had personal experience with two construction types of bamboo flooring. The first was about 8 years ago when I installed some 'vertical' bamboo flooring for a friend. I wasn't impressed. The flooring was prone to splitting when nailing in the cleats, and the long edges where the wearing surfaces meet at the T&G joint would send off these long splinters. To avoid destroying the edges of the boards, you had to cut the splinters with a knife and sand it smooth. I would not recommend this floor to anyone.
The second was when I purchased a condo about 6 years ago that had 'horizontal' bamboo flooring. I was very impressed. It held up well, was not prone to damage or scratching, and I would install it again given the chance.
For definitions of 'vertical' and 'horizontal' bamboo flooring construction, see the following (I'm not sure if this is terminology recognized throughout the industry): https://www.bambooflooringcompany.com/bamboo-flooring-blog/what-are-the-different-types-of-bamboo-flooring/ |
anon (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 - 12:14 pm: | |
The secret to a successful bamboo floor installation is the construction of the flooring product. True engineered bamboo flooring products do well. Laid up bamboo-only flooring products do not do so well, comparatively. The quality of the finish also plays into the success of the installation. High quality factory finishing with urethane/aluminum oxide wears very well. Lesser quality transparent finishes generally do not wear well at all, especially in a space subject to occasional wetting (like a kitchen, or a bathroom). Perhaps the best solution to this is to specify a square-edged (no bevel or micro bevel) engineered product (this may mean bamboo only at the wear layer, which is a good thing) and a field finish with a high quality urethane - there are several on the market. I would have provided product info in this post, but figured if i did, I would probably be called out by the anti-anon forum members as a shill for those companies - which i am not. So - happy googling! |
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