Whenever I view the benefits of hardwood versus bamboo objectively, I get varying results. ie Some times bamboo is harder, sometimes softer. ANYone have any OPINIONS of the matter?

I favor bamboo because it matures and is harvested in 6 years versus wood which is cut and gone. It's also cheaper.

 

Depends if it is old growth bamboo or new growth bamboo.

Yes bamboo is renewable, and it is cheap because it is made from slave labor in China.

It is 2 times more unstable then oak, when moisture is a concern.

 

Can you back your claims?

what is better, new or old growth bamboo?

 

Another thing to consider is discoloration. I recently installed bamboo (I believe it was fast growing) in all three of my bedrooms.

I had a few pieces that I had trimmed and placed in a stack by a window. To my surprise, about a month later, I realized that all the pieces were discolored. They looked terribly yellow (similar to aged pine), not the original light blond.

Another issue I have noticed is the incredible softness of the bamboo. I have only had the floor down about 8 months and I have no children or animals. With that said I have an over-abundant amount of scratches and scars. It's terrible... The brand of bamboo I used was MorningStar.

If I could do it all over again, I would have chosen wood...

 

Discolored? That could be common with lower priced bamboos, but I've never seen it with the premium brands. The same is true of scratching. I recently visited a low priced warehouse type flooring store where their bamboo was priced under $2.50 a square foot. I was amaized at the softness. I've never heard the term old growth bamboo.

 

Sounds like the junk(and I do mean junk) that Lumberliquidators pushes. It is the worst I've ever seen or had the unfortune of working with.

 

Yes, I now know that I have purchased JUNK from Lumber Liquidators.

 

Bamboo harder than wood? Hmm, perhaps harder than pine or walnut yes, but certain woods like hickory or maple are significantly harder than oak even. Keep in mind also what others here have stated and that's to keep away from the cheap, too good to be true priced products. If theyre priced that way, they probably are.

 

I put bamboo in my entire house 4 months ago. I was also under the impression (due to substantial research) that bamboo was the hardest wood out there and that the scratches would be seen less if I chose a carmelization process instead of stain. I was also under the impression that it was a good green alternative to hardwood. It was less expensive than hardwood but not cheap. I couldn't be more unhappy. I have no animals or children yet the amount of scratches on the floor is astounding. I can scratch it with my fingernail. I'm told that the finish is the hardest out there. Of course, I'm getting nowhere with my calls to the company in complaint. All this to say, if you are going for bamboo - do a lot of research. Talk to people who have it. While I love the look of it, if I could do it again I'd go hardwood.

 

YEs,! Research is important when choosing bamboo. Some bamboo flooring is less mature in the manufacturing process. All hardwood providers should provide you with samples. Mess with the sample! Try scratching it, dropping stuff on it and leaving water on it. See how it handles relative to other bamboo and to hardwood. If a retailer or dealer doesn't give samples, it's because they don't want you to compare them to other makes of bamboo.

 

Well, technically bamboo is a grass not a wood. The finish you have Heather is the standard aluminium oxide which is the 2nd hardest substance known to man. Problem is, putting the hardest finish on a soft product won't do it much good.

 

I had the same experience with lizzie_t. Floor initially looks great, but it'll discolor pretty quickly as if it was tanning. I've noticed quite a few dents and the worst part is that since it's a light color floor (which is why I initially chose it), everything shows up. Hair, dust, etc. I have to clean a few times a week to keep the place spotless.

 

I am grateful for this discussion and the information about the products sold by LL. We had been considering this product for bedrooms. Does anyone think that the "30-year warranty" has any value with respect to the concerns expressed about discoloration and scratching? Thanks.

 

well, that settles that question.. I was thinking of using bamboo, heard so much "good"? about it.. now I'm going back to Australian Cypress... I used that in my house in the San Juans and really loved the colors and the hardness of it..

 

I had a client come to me last week at PCBC and say his client's house got flooded. Everything was destroyed except for the bamboo flooring.

Bamboo gives a contemporary look. It's good for bathrooms, kitchens, and basements because of moisture stability. Maintenance and installation are the same as hardwood. It's a renewable resource. It's about half the price. Just ask for samples and compare to for hardness. Most bamboo nowadays is harder than most hardwoods.

 

Any comments the Premium Green Bamboo products sold by simplefloors.com? Particularly solid planks? thank you

 

My wife comes from the Philippines and I have been there and Japan. Bamboo is a good wood for foors. But you must get the right type of bamboo. I see so many stores saling bamboo that I would not buy it. You have to find the right stuff. Japan,Philippines,China has good bamboo but ther are many types of bamboo growing there. Many places sale it under other names so you have to call them and get info and samples from them. About the color all wood changes over time and you must take care of all types of wood floors too. (oil and cleaning)

I am building a house in the USA and the Philippines. The house
in the Philippines I know were to get the bamboo from it is the one in the USA I have to look for a online store.

Good luck to all

 

Here's a good site comparing the relative hardness of various wood species (as well as an agregate of bamboo species).

http://www.pratersflooring.com/pages/residentialpages/Janka%20Scale.html

You'll see that bamboo is around the middle.

Teak, walnut, cherry are all harder than bamboo.

Keep in mind that laminate flooring is NOT the same as a TRUE hardwood floor. A laminate of these species will rate much lower than a true hardwood.

 

My understanding is that much of the hardness of bamboo flooring comes from the lamination process, IE the amount of heat and pressure used when the planks are pressed.

In my experience good quality chinese bamboo flooring is a very hard surface but it as least as expensive as a comparable hardwood floor.

I guess you get what you pay for.

Ed

www.THISISNOTALLOWED

 

If you have yet to decide on a color, think the color you would like and think at least 1 shade darker. I have laminate flooring that is the light color, same as many of the bamboo choices and everything shows up including a drop of water. The previous owners had this laminate put in. I will be going with the darker and am considering bamboo. My family that has business in Hong Kong will order and ship the good Chinese bamboo to me. Sorry, they are a local producer that my uncle is friends with. They don't even have a website!

 

I am having the same problem with the information on bamboo vs hardwood... I have a contractor that needs to know within 48 hours my final decision.

After reading the posts, it seems that the consensus is the following:

1. bamboo is hard, but not the HARDEST material out there
2. There is WIDE variation on the quality of bamboo out there, and it seems that as with most things... you get what you pay for. As far as the cost of having a contractor install the floor, if I buy truly high quality bamboo vs hardwood it seems like the cost if very similar?
3. It's an evironmentally renewable/ friendly material but the manufacturing ethics are likely questionable (at best!) in terms of the human impact since most of the bamboo comes from China.

Anything else I missed? Anyone else care to weigh in on why I should opt for bamboo vs hardwood or hardwood over bamboo?
Thanks! I'm new at this!

 

Everything is right except the quality of Chinese manufacture part. Most bamboo products will be from China. With regard to the questionable human impact, it is because there are sellers in this country that don't want to properly communicate or understand the Chinese way of doing business. These are also the same people that will buy cheap bamboo for $.50 per sq ft. and sell it to the American public for $2 per sq. ft. I think that you will need to find a trustworthy flooring source, and if they cannot get you the bamboo that you want (has tested harness rating) then I would recommend with going with hardwood.

I like bamboo because it can add a little Asian effect to my home with my notably Chinese paintings. I also liked it because it is hardwood and if I choose to sell my home, it won't be too hard to convince the buyers to appreciate bamboo. I also like it due to the enviromental factors, but all in all I haven't changed my mind because I am getting it from the source that provides many high end homes in Hong Kong. They are doing it for my uncle as a favor. Otherwise, they would have even sell it uninstalled.

Either way, it sound like a risk unless you spend the extra. If you were thinking of saving money with bamboo, I would say spend extra on the materials and ask a handy friend to help you install the flooring. You save more money this way.

 

old growth bamboo? that doesn't make sense.


slave labor in China? really?


where is this information coming from????

 

nikwax

Regarding your question about slave labor. It is not slave labor. Labor is just cheaper because standard of living is cheaper.

About old growth bamboo, this is basically like taking wood from a mature tree. It is generally harder than new growth and does not have as much shrink potentail when the bamboo is properly dried. This is where some people have issues because if the processor is not a high quality one, they do not dry the bamboo properly and because the new growth generally has more water retained in the "wood" it will have more shrinkage issues and warping. This is not to say that it does not happen with old growth, but the moisture level in the old growth tends to be less. I don't know where the information on the 2 times more unstable is coming from, but it basically comes down to the people who processed the bamboo you a buying. I have seen some test where bamboo is as stable and had as oak, but these are very high end and have been "properly" produced.

 

So how does the babmboo that they sell at LOWES rate? It is $3.80 a sf and I was considering it.

I do have kids, and a decent amount of traffic, would I be better off with a quick step laminate?

Rob

 

I chose a variant of bamboo called strand woven bamboo. Did the research and heard much from both sides. Cheap bamboo (e.g., LL Morningstar) comes from young bamboo = soft bamboo. $4/sf bamboo seems average for reputable vendors (Teragren, Yanchi). Aluminum oxide is extremely hard, but the substrate makes a big difference on its performance.

Took a sample of strand woven bamboo to my shop and put it through some tests. Mills and works like wood, and it is very hard, like Cocobolo or Ebony. Downside, it splinters easily if it receives a blow to the side of the board. But on the business (top) side, if you could damage it, your other hardwoods will fare worse. I installed it, dropped my hammer on it, dragged my pneumatic nailer across it. When I expected it to scratch, it didn't. We've lived it with for several months--no signs of wear.

Choose a reputable dealer, insist on seeing the technical specs on the finish and glue. The Dynea formaldahyde glue used in my bamboo comes from Sweden...or Denmark, where the offgassing limits are well below even US standards. Good dealers will readily provide this info. I have no regrets, but then I had to pay for it.

 

Tufenhundel, I see you have found a good quality product. Thanks for the information. Could we find out where or what manufacturer to buy and how much you paid.

 

I had Morning Star Bamboo wood floors installed over a month ago and I am very disappointed and I don't know what to do.

I went to Lumber Liquidators and was planning on getting a nice hardwood and was willing to pay up to $5 a sq.ft. Then my girlfriend saw the bamboo and loved the way it looked, but it was much cheaper. I asked the guy why it was so much cheaper and he said because its bamboo. I said well does that mean its worse? He said not at all it is just much more available than expensive woods. I said well does it scratch easier, is there any other problems that people have with it? No, no, no, its great, the guy insisted. I came home and did research on the internet but could only find positive advertisements, to be honest, I thought everything would be great.

But now, I have these floors, and they are beautiful, but they scratch so easily I don't even understand how it happened. Just tonight a small metal thing fell in my living room and it took a chunk so big out of the wood I could not believe it. My girlfriend would like a dog, but there is no way we can get one, the wood would be destroyed.

I feel I was completely misled and I now I have a floor I spent a heck of a lot of money on that was meant to add to the value of my house that now, only 1 month into having it, is destroyed, or at least, on its way to being destroyed. There are many other dings and scratches all over the house and we are VERY careful. No one should have to be this careful and cautious in their own home.

What should I do now?

 

for those curious as to strand woven bamboo, here is a website that has a very good expanation. http://www.harmonygroveflooring.com/light_strand.htm

if you google "strand woven bamboo" you come up with a number of different sites and manufacturers.

 

"When considering bamboo flooring, it is important to know that not all bamboo is equal. Nor is all bamboo processing equal. Some discount or wholesale companies are already selling immaturely cut bamboo for bamboo flooring. The result is low-quality, cheap bamboo flooring that won't last. Timing is also important in processing bamboo. If it is not treated within three days after it has been cut, the bamboo can easily mold, making the resulting flooring look bland and dull. Be sure to confirm that the wholesaler you deal with is knowledgeable and can assure that their bamboo and processing "

http://www.linkemoved.com/bambooflooringquality/

 

"Bamboo floors rival rock maple in strength and exceed red oak's Janka rating by 25 percent. Another great factor to consider when choosing Bamboo for your floor is expansion and contraction – Bamboo expands and contracts 50 percent less than hardwood floors."

says: http://www.xxxxxxxxxx.com

It seems all that, but I've heard a lot of complaints when it comes to bamboo and pets. A product called softpaws sold at local pet stores seems to help lessen the scratching. They're like caps for cat / dog claws.

 

I've been to the factories outside of Hong Kong if you saw it you would be horrified. The workers never wear masks and are exposed to a material that is treated with copper sulfate for it's entire growing cycle. Copper sulfate is used to kill micro organisms that might take up residence in the bamboo shute. It also can kill humans. The workers get 2 dollars a day, a good wage in China. There is never a shortage of workers to take over when another worker gets sick or dies.

I spent two years with a company using this product making prototype trays and bowls for the chinese to mass produce using compressed bamboo products. It took a year to recover after being over exposed to fumes and dust from compressed bamboo. I hope I have helped.

 

[QUOTE=dennis s]I've been to the factories outside of Hong Kong if you saw it you would be horrified. The workers never wear masks and are exposed to a material that is treated with copper sulfate for it's entire growing cycle. Copper sulfate is used to kill micro organisms that might take up residence in the bamboo shute. It also can kill humans. The workers get 2 dollars a day, a good wage in China. There is never a shortage of workers to take over when another worker gets sick or dies.

[QUOTE]

Hi Dennis,

I bet you've never been to China. And it's ridiculous to hear you say that the worker get sick or die from their work.
One of my friend had once went to Shanghai, he said that some cities of China is quite developed now. The cities is amazing beautiful! And the factories use very morden machines too!

As for bamboo floors, here are my opinions.
1. Discolor is not supposed to happen if the flooring is carbonized. And most of factories do this intead of stainning.
2.The species of bamboo is key to hardness of bamboo flooring. Some speices is not suitable for making flooring. But some are perfect for making flooring. I myself installed bamboo flooring in my bedroom. It is Aptune bamboo floor from Floor Bamboo, Inc.
After half a year, the floor is still in good presence.

 

We bought bamboo a few months ago do to the touted environmental benefits. But new information is coming out that most bamboo is not grown sustainably--in fact, the popularity of the material in the US is causing Chinese growers to cut down mature forest to make way for bamboo plantations. Also, most bamboo is glued together with urea formaldehyde, a carcinogen and indoor air pollutant. Some companies use low-emission adhesives, but we found out the hard way that advertising is not reality. We bought Morning Star, which is supposed to have minimal emissions, but after one month of ventilating our bedroom, we still have not gotten rid of the fumes that gave me headaches and a nosebleed! If you want to get truly sustainable wood that is also low in chemicals and minmally processed, go for a local supplier of FSC certified lumber. If that's not possible, check out any FSC certified producer and stay away from any exotic or rainforest wood species.... As for looks and durability, our bamboo looks gorgeous but it does scratch easily, which is a comment I've heard from most folks who have installed bamboo--the lack of grain and the glossy finish show up even the smallest scratch, it's not a failure of the finishes. The glossiness also shows up every little bit of dirt. The bamboo is quite dense and hard, though, and doesn't seem to dent much. But don't believe the "harder than oak" advertising. Bamboo varies wildly in hardness, and many of the harder products have more adhesive or acrylic injected into them. In general, "natural" bamboo is quite a bit more durable than carbonized; virtually everyone I've talked to, including some sales people, have advised against buying the carbonized product. Some companies are now selling stained natural bamboo, which gives a nice option for a darker color without sacrificing durability.

 

Can you please post a link to some information on Morning Star having carcinogens. I don't understand how this would be allowed to be sold. My entire house is using Morning Star carbonized. Is there any repercussions I can take? I certainly don't want to be living in a house filled with carcinogens.

 

I'm currious about simplefloors.com too. I know they sale "Premium Green Bamboo" (linkremoved.com), but I can't find a single review by anyone who has used it.

They make some pretty great claims about their product, but with prices as low as they advertise I can't help but be suspicious.

 

I am from China and I agree with some of you said but some not. We have good resources of bamboo and competitive labour, not slave I have to add. Mao bamboo is one of the best kinds of bamboo, and we manufacturer bamboo with 5-6 year-old mao bamboo. You have to select material strictly when wanna get a perfect artwork. Then use good machines, many of which are made by Germany to make sure their great quality. Then use good glue to put them together such as Dynea. Of course good coating is necessary such as Treffert. Finally is Oxide Aluminum wear-resistance. Then I think you can find bamboo is not so worse compared with wood. Some of our bamboo are sold in big market in USA. Chinese quality does not mean poor quality. I welcome friends to visit China and know us more. Waiting you in Shanghai.

 

Bamboo as a flooring product is a relative newcomer in the US flooring market. Consumer complaints reveal inconsistent quality. Softer bamboo products are reportedly harvested too soon, with experts claiming it takes 5-6 years for bamboo to adquately harden for flooring although it reaches maturity in 3 years. Quality tends to vary among manufacturers in hardness, milling & manufacturing, and finishing.

Bamboo with horizontal grain with natural shade is the hardest of the bamboo products, followed by vertical grain with natural shade, then horizontal grain with caramelized shade, and finally vertical grain with caramelized shade being the least hard, but still harder than white oak. Again, hardness will depend upon manufacturer and maturity of bamboo, with anything harvested less than 5 years will tend not to be hard enough for a long-lasting floor.

In addition to complaints about softness and finishes used, many report problems with off-gassing of VOCs. Volatile organic compounds can contain carcinogens. It is important to select a bamboo product that has no or low VOCs. Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, in glues and adhesives used in the manufacture of products outside the US tend not to be regulated as they are here in the US.

Because the market has been flooded with bamboo from many manufacturers, it is best to do research before making a purchase. Not all bamboo flooring products are created equal.

 

I installed bamboo flooring that I bought from Costco online. I installed it in the Master bedroom and my daughter's bedroom. The flooring in my daughter's room has been in there a year. The floor still looks flawless today. Costco was more expensive than the others but has performed great. I agree with what others have said. Get a sample and abuse it. See how is holds up. I bought the natural. The only way I can be more happy with my purchase, would be if it cost less. Plus Costco will take back any unused flooring, as long as it is still in the box. No questions asked and no restocking fee (at least that is the policy at my local Costco) and yes they will take it back at the local Costco.

 

Bamboo is resonably hard but its the resins used to stick it all together where the hardness comes from .Old or young bamboo makes very little differance to the hardness . Its not like a tree.
The surface is only as hard as the polyurethanes used . Water based polys scratch very easy on wood as well the same as Bamboo. Color change , the same its the poly breaking down . Here in New Zealand poly changes within hours of a floor being installed in a sunny room reguardless if it wood or bamboo
All bamboo flooring is not equal in quality , it varies considerably from one manufacture to another some good some not so good ,Check before you buy, go and have a look at a floor installed and talk to the owner not the sales person .
You make up your own mind dont let them talk there way into your bankbook .
I have been laying bamboo for a while now and have only had one floor ever have a problem and that was the owners fault .
I do prefur to loss lay it and not stick it to the sub floor . Makes for a easy replace or repair if anything happens aways down the track ,works a treat .

I love the comments below food for thought .