Bamboo Flooring

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Originally Posted by supa007

With the bevelled edges and subsequent gap between planks, apart from dirt collecting, I'm more worried about moisture getting in! How can this problem be avoided?

I've also heard that bamboo is less demensionally stable (shrinks and expands more than timber), is this true? And is this the real reason why the gaps there, to allow of this movement?

I'm just trying to weigh up the pros and cons of the flooring material.

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Regarding the moisture getting between the gaps: Pre Finished Compressed and Non Compressed bamboo has been treated against moisture with the exception of the ends if cut, once cut they need to be sealed. Having said this It is suggested that when cleaning dont tip a bucket of water on the floor boards rather use a mix of water and metholated spirits with a small mop and lightly spread then wipe up with a static type surface cloth or towel. Similar cautions to normal timber.

Regards in expansion:
I only deal with Style Plantation Styleboard (TM) compressed and non compressed Vertical and Horizontal products. It is my experience that expansion happens width wise and not to much lenth wise, its very small. Personally I have not seen this affect any floors that we lay; and yes it does depend greatly on how its layed with respect to the Sika T53 or T55.

I dont know what you mean by "GAPS", I have never seen any gaps in our product. If you are referring to the beveled edges, they are only there to stop splintering; splintering occurs just like normal timber when something has been dropped on the join between two planks it may splinter, (I say may), or heavy traffic occurs with shoes such as stoletoes with sharp heals, the angle of the bevel also stops any issues such as expansion on sharp edges that leads to splintering.

Gaps may be occuring in some floors because they have not been tensioned when being layed, bamboo has the same tongue and groove joints as normal hardwood and also has them on the ends.

One way of making sure of the quality in my mind is to ask the supplier if their product is purchased in batches? and if each box is batch marked at the factory.

If you visit www.styleplantation.com you can download care and maintenance *.pdf files

That's a nice looking product there Paul.

I've been looking through your flooring gallery, and is that all bamboo? And the big question is, how much per $quare metre?

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Originally Posted by pawnhead

That's a nice looking product there Paul.

I've been looking through your flooring gallery, and is that all bamboo? And the big question is, how much per metre?

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Yes you are correct all pictures shown in our gallery section are 100% Bamboo with one exception; at the bottom of the page is all our natural fibre carpeting/rug products e.g. Sisal and Coir.

Pricing; I would need to have an idea of the SQM you would require first or even a plan so we can calculate with some accuracy what you need.

Please if you have time fill out an enquiry form on website I will put something in writting for you which would include all adhesives, moisture barrier, reducers, and if you intend to not remove skirting boards supply pricing on bamboo beading.

Also let me know where you are located and if you need it layed as well.

I will then also send you some brochures and depending on if you want to install yourself supply you with install instructions.

Thanks
Paul

I'm not interested in any myself, but I'm a carpenter/builder and I've laid a lot of floors in my time. I may be in a position to make recommendations depending on how the price stacks up against floating/solid flooring, if a client is thinking about something along those lines.
The renewable/eco-friendly aspect would be a plus for some people.
At the moment I'm a full time carer for my elderly mother, but that probably won't always be the case. My brother is still working as a carpenter, and I try to keep up to date with what's happening in the industry and keep him informed of anything I've learned from surfing the web.

I must say that some of those photos on your site have changed my impression of the appearance of a bamboo floor. :2tsup:

edit: The ones I'd seen in the past looked like they'd just gotten bamboo stalks and flattened them in a press. They looked like bamboo with the accompanying segmented appearance between growth rings (if that's what they're called :?), and you could clearly tell that it wasn't wood from a tree.

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Originally Posted by pawnhead

I may be in a position to make recommendations depending on how the price stacks up against floating/solid flooring, if a client is thinking about something along those lines.
The renewable/eco-friendly aspect would be a plus for some people.
I try to keep up to date with what's happening in the industry and keep him informed of anything I've learned from surfing the web.

I must say that some of those photos on your site have changed my impression of the appearance of a bamboo floor. :2tsup:

edit: The ones I'd seen in the past looked like they'd just gotten bamboo stalks and flattened them in a press. They looked like bamboo with the accompanying segmented appearance between growth rings (if that's what they're called :?), and you could clearly tell that it wasn't wood from a tree.

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Thank you for this continued discussion.

The cost is roughly around $70 p/sqm + laying, the price will come down once a firm understanding on how much per job is required.

It will be more expensive than floating flooring but on par with conventional flooring, however the result is harder (Styleboard (tm) compressed)and better aucoustic qualities.

Thank you for your feed back on what the product looks like, this is why we are so passionate about bamboo, bamboo offers an alternative choice with a modern look that is new.

Definatley not sticks and squashed, the process of getting bamboo to our finished state is involved; basically the compressed product is harvested from 16.6 meter trees after a period of 5 years and only during a mth period. The compressed bamboo is strand woven meaning the fibres are torn from the trunk and then mixed together in a large vat, then resins are combined and the mixture is then forced out through a mould which creates the tongue and groove, then finished and the alluminiumised matt, semi-gloss or gloss coatings are applied. The conventional boards are harvested from segmenting the trunks, meaning you the cut into small laminations and then make these into horizontal or vertical boards, quite inovative and unique products created.

Paul

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Originally Posted by StylePlantation

Sorry I dissagree with you on all your arguments!

If you keep chopping down your natural forests where will the animals live? in the new forests you call HOMES? :doh:I could not leave that one alone sorry!~

Come on guys! Australian product has its place as does Bamboo flooring and like most products if you dont know what you are doing when laying it then it wont work, just like traditional flooring.

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First of all, you have just won me over with this comment and i congratulate you on your passion - NO APOLOGIES NECESSARY.
MORE people need to think about this.

In saying that, we did a full circle (several times) and are now having bamboo laid in February! :U

HOWEVER, we went with a bamboo laminate (I know what you are all going to think.....'cheapskate'). It wasn't exactly cheap in $$ sense and it actually looks quite classy.

We heard so many conflicting stories about the laminate is harder than real bamboo and vice versa. In all honesty, found it hard to believe anyone. So we took the punt, bought the laminate. We liked the look of it and time will only tell whether we made a mistake or not.

Went with the lighter colour in a high gloss. We did try to lay it ourselves over Xmas. Realised we were in over our heads (too much the DIY DVD's DONT TELL YOU!!), bit the bullet, 'uninstalled' what we did and found someone to lay it professionally, which is a huge relief for us. We had too many angled walls and around 100sqm to lay.

If it was a smaller square room, we may have been alright. But best to admit inability now than to pay the price a little further down the track.

Thanks for your continuance in this thread though. Still interesting to hear people's views.

Cheers