Eco Friendly Bamboo Flooring: Not All Bamboo is Equal
Bamboo is proving to be a durable and attractive alternative to hardwoods for flooring. It is rapidly renewable, growing to maturity in five to seven years, compared to 50-150 years for many hardwoods. It is sturdy, with a hardness that rivals and in some cases exceeds the hardness of hardwoods. Bamboo is attractive and readily available in solid, woven and engineered versions. It offers a variety of colors and grains and it is cost effective, often being less expensive than hardwoods and just as easy to install.
The surge in popularity of bamboo as an eco-friendly flooring material has created a rush to market with a simultaneous surge in manufacturing capacity. The rapid growth has resulted in a wide range of quality of the finished product, depending on the manufacturing processes used. There are a number of manufacturing variables that determine the ultimate quality of bamboo flooring. These include processing time, moisture content, density level, the adhesives that are used to manufacture the end product, and the quality of the surface coating.
Processing time is extremely important. The stalks should be processed quickly after cutting. If they are not processed promptly, they can develop a surface mold that is often visible in the finished product. Quality manufacturers process their cut stalks immediately, thus eliminating the possibility of mold.
Moisture content is also imperative and in general it should be as low as possible at the time of manufacture. It can vary widely, from 7% to 14%, and many Bamboo flooring mills ship material that has only been dried to 9-12%, which is not adequate in many climate regions. With Woven Bamboo, in particular, the drying process is essential. If Woven Bamboo is manufactured to 9-12% moisture content and then installed in a dry climate area, it has a tendency to crack or develop ripples on the plank face. For installations in areas where relative humidity drops below 35%, material that has been well-dried at the factory is essential.
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