bamboo flooring

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romey

romey

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Nov 27, 2007
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hey guys,

we just got a new house and planning on gettin wood floors... i was initally sold on bamboo, then someone said that they're hard to repair of damaged b/c of the fibres (hard to sand and level out and stain..?) .... someone suggested brazilian cherry/jatoba and we can get a good deal on them...then the sales guy (know his stuff) was also pushing for bamboo and changed my initial thoughts on them. they are strong, it's a renewable resources, and we'd like to go green for sure...

we also really liked the jatoba (and they insisted that it is a controlled industry in brazil and that no rainforests are further being cut to get at the wood, yatta yatta)

we were budgeting for the really hard brazilian cherry, and then got to thinking about bamboo again, the stains were quite close and we like both. (and we can still go for oak too in a similar stain, for only about a dollar less per sq.foot)

your thoughts? long term? effects on resale? most of the guys are saying that it wont affect resale too much. the bamboo is waranteed for 30 years. we've got a little one, and more hopefully, so lots of trampling and dropping of toys and such (mind you same damage to any wood will happen anyway). the price is almost half too and the money saved could go to other things (appliances.etc.)

a contractor friend said that bamboo will be the next hot thing in the next couple years, and it's been around for over 10 years already.

go green?!

cheers.

romey
 
2.24 american red or white oak,no. 1 or select grade. Finished with dura-seal oil finish,golden oak,Then 3 coats poly oil seal. Will last with kids and dogs. I have 5 children and 2 labs. Once every couple years,wax and polish. We have done this in all our houses that we have lived in and built . MIke
 
We were thinking of putting in bamboo, but after talking to a couple of friends who know their stuff we decided not to. In my dry climate, the bamboo dries out and cracks and is difficult to repair, I was told. This advice came from several unrelated sources, so I took bamboo off the list. Ceramic tile it will be.
 
I have built and remodeled for over 25 years,that said I dont use bamboo for floors.I do think others can use what ever they wish. 2 cents Mike
 
lol, easy Mike, it was never my first choice, they picked it and asked for my help, I do have to say that they're happy with it and I saw it the other day it still looked great.
 
hmm, might just be a preference thing... agreed on the effects of very dry climate, not in my case with 4 seasons. i've also heard of dance studios that use bamboo and have been quite pleased, and that's alot of stompin. just tryin to get a more objective view of the asian made materials... on the hardness of wood scale, bamboo is in the middle of the pack, quite hard and strong...

anyway, still mulling it through....
 
I installed some for my sister-in-law. I wasn't impressed. The hard surface is fairly thin with a relatively soft inner layer so it doesn't dent like oak; it fractures. I wasn't even done installing it in the den and she dropped one of my tools on it - I think it was a flat pry bar, so the end is fairly pointed, but it's not that heavy - and put a sizeable cracked-in dent in the bamboo. I made it look decent with putty, but there's no way to fix it. I also was discouraged at how easily the tongue cracked and splintered when I was installing it. I used regular t-nails, and it may be better with staples, but that doesn't change how weak the structure is parallel to the grain.

I think it would be good for some applications, but every application I can think of would be just as well-suited to some low-cost laminate flooring.

My house is all oak.
 
yikes, i've heard stories like that from using cheaper bamboo. but that worries me still, there is quite the range in quality, but that's certainly a knock on bamboo... and i know you can't go wrong with good 'ol oak!
 
My Boss installed bamboo flooring last year. Two toddlers and and two cats. Floors still look great. As stated above, different grades/quality probably makes all the difference. I'm a fan of the "green" angle...
 
I have bamboo floors in the kitchen and also a seperate studio. It has a matte finish, I forget the name of the finish... oxide?... anyway, it's been good stuff and durable.
 
thanks fellas, the stuff i'm talking about comes from the largest manufacturer of bamboo flooring out east and is sold by a very reputable store... but i will have to double check on the quality they are selling, they are good (a good contractor friend recommended them), so i can only assume they'll only sell the good stuff...

just had dinner at a small joint near work, there was a magazine on the table, i flip the page and it's an article about bamboo flooring...maybe it's a sign, lol. save trees use grass! :)
 
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My floors are solid hardwood- just wanted to be clear, it's the same all the way thru. good luck
 
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