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1. FAQ for Bamboo floor
Q: What is bamboo flooring?
A: Bamboo flooring is hardwood flooring made from bamboo stalks. BAMBOO DIRECT FLOORING is an engineered product that utilizes state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment to process bamboo strips into multi-layered, tongue-and-groove pre-finished bamboo floor planks.
Q: How are bamboo floors manufactured?
A: Fresh & mature bamboo clums are split and flattened lengthwise into strips of equal dimensions. These are processed & kiln dried before being pressed against each other and glued under high pressure to form boards (raw planks).
Strandwoven boards are manufactured to achieve greater strength and stability. The bamboo clum is crushed lengthwise and the strands are pressed & glued at extreme high pressure to produce boards (raw planks).
The raw planks are then milled to form tongue & groove on the edges. These are then surface coated, packed & shipped.
Q: Is your bamboo flooring as durable as other hardwood flooring?
A: All our bamboo flooring is manufactured using only 6 year old mature bamboo clump from remote mountains in South China. Due to a lengthy annual freeze, this unique growing climate produces the strongest bamboo and most durable floors in the world.
Q： How do bamboo floors compare with other hardwood floors?
A: Horizontal & Vertical bamboo flooring is harder than the most popular hardwood - Oak.
StrandWoven bamboo flooring is harder than the most expensive hardwood - Brazilian Walnut.
Also, bamboo flooring is less expensive than hardwood.
Q： Are floors prefinished and ready to install?
A: Yes. Floors are prefinished in factory with 7 UV cured German Treffert aluminum oxide finish which is highly anti-scratch and abrasion resistant.
Q: How do you ensure consistent quality?
A：We are known for our stringent quality control measures. All materials in each production process is strictly monitered by dedicated personnel before & after processing. Latest technology and modern machinery is used for all processes. All floors are carefully visualized before packing.
Q: Which features to look for good quality bamboo flooring?
A: The following criteria has been developed to determine which products are best:
1) Performance
Bamboo floors are tough; but some are much tougher than others. Bamboo hardness varies according to species, maturation time, grain patterns, and color.Moso is the hardest species;•5-7 years maturity is better than 3-5 years,•Vertical grain is harder than Horizontal,•Strand woven is much harder than vertical or horizontal grains and•natural color is harder than carbonized.
2)Environmentally Friendly Finishes and Adhesives
Most manufacturers make claims that are not easy to verify. The best manufacturers now use formaldehyde-free adhesives and finishes that exceed European standards for safety and can prove it. These are water-based, solvent-free and do not off-gass toxic chemicals. They may cost slightly more but they are better for your health. This may not be easy to determine by smelling a sample of bamboo, even if it is freshly sawn. You have to know your sources.
3) Milling and Moisture Control
Your bamboo floor will last a long time if it is properly installed and cared for. However we have found from experience that not all bamboo floors perform equally. Some may split, warp, or delaminate over time. Others may not fit well together from the beginning. Some of these problems are due to poor milling and others are due to moisture. Quality control of moisture at several points during and after manufacturing is critical to maintaining an industry standard of 6-9% moisture content. If a company can't guarantee moisture levels in this range in writing, we don't even consider them because it is far too important to the performance and longevity of the product.
Check this out. Below is a recent photo of a bamboo flooring sample we received from a large internet flooring company which had one of the lowest prices (they are now out of business). When you look at the edge you can see obvious signs of delamination. And this was brand new! What caused this problem? It could be due to improper drying, poor packaging, faulty glue application, or dull milling equipment. Imagine what might happen if you installed this on your floor? The floor could buckle, twist or warp causing a noticeable and permanent bump in your floor.The warranty might cover the piece but you would have to rip it out at your own expense and try to find a matching piece to replace it. No small task. Your floor may never look the same. And this could happen to numerous pieces. So much for saving a few bucks.
4) Grading
There now appears to be varying grades of bamboo on the market although they may not be labeled as such. This is due to: age at harvesting time (4 year old bamboo is noticeably softer than 6 year old bamboo), culm (trunk) selection (lower to the ground the stronger), manufacturing processes (some older equipment mills, glues and finishes products differently from newer state of the art factories), certification (while not available in China it is available in the US and Europe for certain manufacturers that comply with those standards of manufacturing).
5) Durable Finish
The Chinese are now finishing most of the bamboo with much better finishes than they did years ago. However, some finishes (especially the inexpensive ones) are simply multiple coats of polyurethane. The best manufacturers use a five-7 coat German finish of aluminum oxide with a super tough scratch resistant ceramic top coat.It is difficult to tell which finish is the best just by looking at it. You have to know how to test the surfaces to determine which ones chip off easily and which ones don't. Our experience is that most scratch quite easily and leave unsightly marks. Both Teragren and EcoTimber have researched and developed their own versions of highly resistant finishes that are much more durable than most on the market. You have to test these for yourself to see the difference.
6) Longevity
Some manufacturers are so confident of their new finish system they warrant thier products for LIFE against delamination and for 25-years against surface wear (residential) Teragren and US Floors and 27 years Eco-Timber. Commercial warranties are usually 5-10 years.The questions you need to ask are: 1) "Will the company that sold me the product be around that long?" and 2) "What good is a replacement warranty if I have to pay for the cost of removal and installation which is much more expensive than the floor itself?" Although it is not always easy to choose the best products, seasoned homeowners rely on reputable companies that only sell top quality products. After all, your floors require a significant investment; inferior quality is not worth the risk.
Q: Why is bamboo flooring "eco-friendly"?
A: The Moso bamboo utilized is actually a quick growing grass species (Phyllostachys Heterocycla Pubescens Ohwi). Harvested from government authorized locations within Hunan Province, China, the bamboo plants take only 5 - 6 years to reach maturity. Because it is a harvested grass that continually regenerates, bamboo is considered a renewable and sustainable resource. BAMBOO DIRECT FLOORING is an environmentally responsible alternative to traditional hardwoods.
Q: How does your bamboo flooring hold up to high humidity?
A: As long as you let the flooring acclimate for no less than 72 hours, with boxes opened and laid flat in the room where it is to be installed, high humidity should not affect the floor.
Q: Do you have a warranty on your floors?
A: 25 years structural & finish warranty for Solid & Quick-Click floors.
Lifetime structural warranty for strandwoven floors.
Q: Is bamboo environmentally friendly?
A: Absolutely. Mao (Moso) bamboo is specially cultivated and harvested, without damaging the ecological system of renewal. Every year the parent bamboo plant develops new stems, so the stems can be harvested after 6 years in a mature plantation without decreasing the size of the forest.
2. FAQ for Bamboo Plywood
Q: How to Store Bamboo Plywood?
A: Plywood must be kept in its packaging until you are ready to work with it. The end grain of bamboo is large and porous and absorbs moisture very quickly. Therefore, it may tend to warp unless you lay it flat during storage and keep the ends well protected. Do not stand upright; it's best to lay flat. Once it is sealed it will look and function beautifully for a long time.
Q: How to Finish Bamboo Plywood?
A: Bamboo plywood is mostly unfinished, although we do carry one size that is prefinished. We recommend either oil based finishes (AFM Safecoat Oil Wax or Bioshield Hard Oil) or polyurethane (AFM Polyureseal BP). Either of these will provide a beautiful hard finish that will seal the wood and provide years of protection. Oil based products require yearly maintenance, however they do provide a beautiful feel. Should you want more scratch resistance, and less maintenance, our non-toxic polyurethane would be a good choice.
Q: Tips on Working with Bamboo Plywood?
A: Due to its hardness, you may find it usefull to predrill before fastening. Also, should you decide to router the edges of the natural colored plywood you may find some darkening. Plywood glues up and sands very nicely. However, do not start with coarse grit abrasives. It will shred the fibers. Start with 80 -100 grit and proceed to much finer grits. If you want a super smooth finish, we have found the 300+ grit aluminum oxide type sandpaper to work well in between coats of the oil based products.