Are you searching for high-quality, environmentally-friendly flooring? Many individuals are contemplating bamboo. In contrast to hardwoods, bamboo is a grass that takes solely 5-6 years to develop, as a substitute of 25-30 years. Bamboo is harvested and utilizing bamboo saves bushes.
Bamboo is a superb choice when you select effectively. Simply as you discover low-quality carpeting or high-quality carpeting, you may get low or top quality flooring. All bamboo flooring isn’t the identical. These seven ideas will enable you to keep away from errors and discover flooring which you can be pleased with for a few years:
1. Which sort of flooring would you want?
There are 2 sorts of bamboo flooring boards accessible – conventional and strand woven. Conventional bamboo flooring is available in 2 totally different grain instructions: horizontal and vertical. Conventional bamboo will also be stable (bamboo all the best way although) or engineered (skinny Snap on veneers layer on prime with compressed particle board). Though conventional bamboo flooring is about 25% more durable than Oak and Maple flooring, it nonetheless may be simply scratched or gouged. For these causes there are a lot of complaints from owners and enterprise house owners when working with conventional bamboo flooring boards.
A much better choice is strand-woven bamboo flooring. Strand-woven boards are compressed in the identical path with adhesive underneath excessive stress. Eco-friendly corporations use environmentally secure adhesives. This course of fuses the bamboo strands collectively, making a stable plank that’s practically twice as dense as common bamboo flooring. That is what makes strand-woven bamboo flooring so
robust and sturdy. Strand-woven flooring is way more durable than conventional bamboo and can’t be simply scratched, dented or gouged by excessive heels, small pets and furnishings motion.
2. How onerous is the flooring?
There’s a hardness measurement referred to as Janka Hardness Scale. On this scale, for instance, White Oak is 1360 and Maple flooring is 1490. The place does the flooring you are contemplating rank on this scale? In case you have youngsters, excessive site visitors or pets, search for bamboo flooring with Janka Hardness ranking over 2300. Order samples. When you get the samples, check them out. Bang on them, drop issues on them, attempt to scratch them. Which product holds up the perfect?
3. How eco-friendly is the manufacturing course of?
If the flooring is engineered or strand-woven, it has been processed to extend hardness. Search for bamboo flooring that’s formaldehyde-free and is made with non-off gassing adhesives. In case your challenge goes to be LEED-certified, examine that the flooring meet LEED Submittal Standards.
4. Are you searching for nail-down or floating flooring?
Not each challenge wants nail-down flooring. Floating flooring can work effectively in sure conditions. It snaps collectively and can be utilized over concrete and radiant heating. It may be utilized in tasks that aren’t appropriate for nails or adhesives. Floating flooring can even simply be uninstalled and brought with you while you transfer. When searching for floating flooring, ensure it’s self-locking. The easiest way to make sure is to order samples and check out them out. Do they simply come aside or do they maintain collectively?
5. Can the flooring be used in your explicit scenario?
Is it for residential use or industrial use? Can or not it’s utilized in a high traffic scenario? Can or not it’s used the place moisture is a priority? Is it made for beneath grade installations?
6. Are matching equipment accessible?
An excellent job will embody matching bamboo equipment. Are you able to get matching baseboard, base shoe, thresholds, stairs, stair nosing and flooring vents?
7. How good is the guarantee?
The guarantee is the boldness the producer has of their product. Search for a 25-year residential and 10-year industrial end warranties and a 30-year structural guarantee.
By making an allowance for these seven necessary ideas, you may keep away from most of the errors that first-time bamboo consumers have. You will have a bamboo flooring challenge you may get pleasure from for years to return.