Bamboo Flooring

We are looking at renovating our home and laying bamboo flooring throughout the house with exception of bedrooms and wet areas.
We have done as much research as we can with regards to floating floor laminates vs bamboo.
What we would really like to know is if there is anyone that had bamboo flooring for about 5years or more, what the wear and tear factor is for 'normal' use.
We are aware of the sandpaper effect from dirt being brought into the house from shoes and not to 'slide' furniture when moving etc, but how does it go for 'normal' use?
Any help anyone can provide would be appreciated!

bamboo wears quite well, you would generally look to re-coating a bamboo floor minimum of 10 years after installation with normal traffic.
Bamboo flooring is also very hard, if you go for what is called strand woven or compressed.
the only small downside to bamboo flooring is the beveled edges between the joins, these sometimes trap dirt in them.
One more thing, if you go with a bamboo floor, make sure you read their warranties very carefully, and go with a company that has been manufacturing it/ selling it for some time (there are many many cheap copies out there and will only get you in to trouble)

It's an individual choice of course, but I think it will date like a lot of fads. Slate was all the rage in the seventies, but it's not very popular now, and if you were thinking of reselling in future, then I'd go for a more conventional and popular solid flooring.
Solid timber floors have been around for hundreds of years and they would always add value to a property.

I'm in agreement with John, in the post above^

You live in WA, the home of some of the worlds most spectacular hardwoods, such as Jarrah and Karri and you looking at laying Panda Bear food as flooring.
To me, that defies logic.

Just recently, I've read several bad reviews regarding the Bamboo flooring (mainly from the States). Where it doesn't seemed to of held up to the claims the marketing people have heaped on it.

Also, like many pale floors, they are a nightmare to keep looking pristine, as they tend to take and show up dirt horribly, particularly, as already pointed out, in the bevelled edges.

Forgetting about the bamboo for a minute, I'll just add that a solid vs floating floor may cost a bit more, but It will stand the test of time, and a lot of people (especially on these forums) know what they are walking on, and they can tell the difference between the real McCoy and a pretender. :wink:

Of course the best floating floors are very good quality, just as sandable, and hard to pick, but they're generally in the same price range as solid anyway, so I don't know why you'd bother.

bit off topic, i suppose people go with floating floors as you save costs on installation (no need for a sub-floor) and the finishing costs.

madrat i think you may have chose the wrong place to ask about bamboo! (woodworking forum!)

I have seen many bamboo floors, yes they do look great but as pawnhead said, timber flooring will never go out of fashion!

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Originally Posted by 123

bit off topic, i suppose people go with floating floors as you save costs on installation (no need for a sub-floor) and the finishing costs.

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What about direct stick, 12mm solid? I'm not a flooring expert or supplier, but you can get prefinished solid as well. Not sure about 12mm though. I realize that it takes a bit longer, and it's a bit of a pros job compared to a floater which a handyman could lay. It would cost a bit more in glue as well I suppose.

Hi All,
Thanks for all your suggestions.
It looks like we have been steered away from the Bamboo!!

:doh:

I guess at the end of the day it was the high shine effect that attracted me to it, not so much the fact that it was 'bamboo'.

I will continue to 'research' my flooring options!!!!

Thanks again....

You should check out your local species like Karri it is a hard timber, with great variation in color and not to dark that it will show all the dust. It polishes up well and because it is a local timber to your area, you should be able to get it for a good price.:2tsup:

Cheers

Craig
http://www.connollys.com.au

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Originally Posted by pawnhead

It's an individual choice of course, but I think it will date like a lot of fads. Slate was all the rage in the seventies, but it's not very popular now, and if you were thinking of reselling in future, then I'd go for a more conventional and popular solid flooring.
Solid timber floors have been around for hundreds of years and they would always add value to a property.

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Bamboo flooring has established itself past the fad used by date, bamboo flooring has been available in Australia for over 10 years now and a reseller network has built up around these products.

The main fact that people convert to bamboo flooring is the hardness factor, the CSIRO produced a report that found bamboo 70% harder than Jarah flooring.

The main reason that bamboo has taken off is that its now reliable and consistant (based on who you purchase from of course) in output, and the result has a lot more character than traditional options in the market place.

Another reason why its popular and will remain so is that eco wise and this is very important at the moment Bamboo is a plantation product, and therefore does not affect natural growth forests.

Sorry about my entry but I am passionate about this product.

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Originally Posted by madrat

Hi All,
Thanks for all your suggestions.
It looks like we have been steered away from the Bamboo!!

:doh:

I guess at the end of the day it was the high shine effect that attracted me to it, not so much the fact that it was 'bamboo'.

I will continue to 'research' my flooring options!!!!

Thanks again....

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Bamboo will damage just like other timbers, i.e. sand paper affect, stilletoes, hammers dropping on the boards, etc, BUT !!! the damage if compressed Style Board (TM) will not be as bad as traditional timbers.

The reason why Bamboo has a beveled edge on each sheet it a design feature and this is something that is lacking in traditional timbers; when the timber expands its possible that it could splinter the edge, so the bevel is to stop splitting, whilst is could keep the dirt in it, this should not be an issue if like myself you wipe it clean with a dust cloth daily.

Bamboo is not a good idea in bath rooms or swimming pool areas due to the mould factor, however there is product alternative called Paulownia, this comes in three different colours and is light.

One more thing bamboo comes in various make ups:

1. vertical / horizontal in Matt, Semi-gloss, gloss
2. Styleboard (tm) Coffee (compressed) matt, semi-gloss in wide and thin board
3. Styleboard (tm) Natural (compressed) matt, semi-gloss, gloss, also in wide and thin board.

10 years as someone else mentioned is the expected traffic time before re-surfacing by sanding.

Also the coating is not just any coating on the Styleboard its an alluminised hardened coating designed especially to stop scratching.

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Originally Posted by Dusty

I'm in agreement with John, in the post above^

You live in WA, the home of some of the worlds most spectacular hardwoods, such as Jarrah and Karri and you looking at laying Panda Bear food as flooring.
To me, that defies logic.

Just recently, I've read several bad reviews regarding the Bamboo flooring (mainly from the States). Where it doesn't seemed to of held up to the claims the marketing people have heaped on it.

Also, like many pale floors, they are a nightmare to keep looking pristine, as they tend to take and show up dirt horribly, particularly, as already pointed out, in the bevelled edges.

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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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Originally Posted by StylePlantation

Sorry about my entry but I am passionate about this product.

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Never apologise for your passions!

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Originally Posted by pawnhead

... :wink:

Of course the best floating floors are very good quality, just as sandable, and hard to pick, but they're generally in the same price range as solid anyway, so I don't know why you'd bother.

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Because the house has a slab and was designed to be tiled and they wanted extra insulation under the floor. That was my case anyway and I am quite happy with the tassie oak flooring which can be sanded and installation did not cause other prolems with fittings. I like solid floors and given my druthers would have them but it was not practical when I bought this house. Having had all the fittings and benches raised I did not want to lose the extra height and it was too costly to raise the windows which was another option.

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.