Bamboo Floors - Quality of Products
 

We have decided to put down bamboo floors. From what I gather, there is
potentially a wide variation of qualities from the different products
that are out there.

Locally, we have been able to see samples of products from Mohawk,
Bambo, and Custom Surface among others. It is difficult to tell on
inspection one from another. Maybe it goes without saying, but I do not
want a poor quality product on my floors.

Of those three in particular, only Custom Surface has a website with
detailed information including test data, and even a detailing of the
top coats and binding agents. Mohawk also has a website, but does not
provide these types of details; plus the reprenstative will not speak
to end customers (only licensed retailers). Bambo has some
representative in San Diego. However, upon asking about technical
details, I was tranferred to another rep who didn't seem to appreciate
the questions and said she had no information.

Does anyone have any information or opinion on any of these three
products? Alternatively, can someone recommend another product that has
proven quality?

Can any installer or tech rep show you a floor that has been in place
for a couple of years?

I've seen one bamboo floor in place - I wasn't told the manufacturer -
and it looked marvelous.
The house was a "museum" and the owners complained of "dents in the
floor" which I could see if I got down on hands and knees alnd looked
carefully.

TB

I have used this brand many times without complaint:
http://dmbamboo.com/

Notes on bamboo:

1. You will need a nailer with a special adapter plate, since bamboo is
thinner than regular oak flooring. They are (at least were) hard to come by.

2. Bamboo is a grass,not a wood.. it is subject to more thermal
expansion/contraction than wood. Make sure you have a good underlayment
and you climatize (have it sit for a few days to reach room temp /
humidity). If you don't, cracks may open up on the ends.


Shaprock wrote:
We have decided to put down bamboo floors. From what I gather, there is
potentially a wide variation of qualities from the different products
that are out there.

Locally, we have been able to see samples of products from Mohawk,
Bambo, and Custom Surface among others. It is difficult to tell on
inspection one from another. Maybe it goes without saying, but I do not
want a poor quality product on my floors.

Of those three in particular, only Custom Surface has a website with
detailed information including test data, and even a detailing of the
top coats and binding agents. Mohawk also has a website, but does not
provide these types of details; plus the reprenstative will not speak
to end customers (only licensed retailers). Bambo has some
representative in San Diego. However, upon asking about technical
details, I was tranferred to another rep who didn't seem to appreciate
the questions and said she had no information.

Does anyone have any information or opinion on any of these three
products? Alternatively, can someone recommend another product that has
proven quality?

Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like I failed to note that we were
planning on doing a glue-down (to the slab). Since we have no subfloor
to work with, our only choices are to glue-down or float. The only
floating bamboo that I've seen in town had a fiberboard core, which
didn't look especially robust. I had concluded that glue-down was
really the only option.

I would love to hear more peoples' experiences with bamboo flooring,
especially with specific products. My husband and I are probably going
to redo the entire second floor of our house in bamboo flooring some
time in the next six months, and we're still in the research stage.

A few years ago, we saw some model houses with varying shades of bamboo
flooring and it was absolutely beautiful.

--
Jennifer

We installed bamboo flooring in an addition over the winter. I bought it
online through http://diyflooring.com and the bamboo was 3"x6'x5/8" and the
natural light color. It could be put down with staples, nails or you could
glue the boards together and put it down as a floating floor. It's been down
about four months now and we love it. We're debating whether to have the oak
floors in the rest of the house refinished or replaced with bamboo. Since we
installed the bamboo ourselves and we wouldn't refinish the oak ourselves,
putting down bamboo would be substantially cheaper than refinished here in
NJ.


"Shaprock" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like I failed to note that we were
planning on doing a glue-down (to the slab). Since we have no subfloor
to work with, our only choices are to glue-down or float. The only
floating bamboo that I've seen in town had a fiberboard core, which
didn't look especially robust. I had concluded that glue-down was
really the only option.

I did a glue down with tongue and groove bamboo planks. Using the correct
factory recommended mastic is very important. We had it now for four years
and no problem.

Location is Miami, and glued to a concrete slab directly.

MC

"Shaprock" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like I failed to note that we were
planning on doing a glue-down (to the slab). Since we have no subfloor
to work with, our only choices are to glue-down or float. The only
floating bamboo that I've seen in town had a fiberboard core, which
didn't look especially robust. I had concluded that glue-down was
really the only option.