I bought a lot of Home Legend bamboo flooring for my house on slab and the new guest house being built on post and pier on my land. Problem is, I live in the rainiest area in The Big Island, Hawaii (most rain in the US.) I opened the packages to acclimate them and guess what happened? Mold and mildew all over the sides and back, though not the front. I called Home Depot and after talking to Home Legend, they said they cannot take it back. So I'm now stuck with it. I still like the bamboo flooring and am doing a lot of research to find a way to prevent the mold and mildew from coming back and to safely install it, both on the concrete slab and on plywood in the new guest house.

I am asking the experts for advises. Right now I'm thinking of doing the following:

1. Clean the bamboo with bleach to remove mold and mildew. Let dry completely (when it's not raining.)
2. Paint the sides of the bamboo floorings with water-based clear Varathane (a type of polyurethane from Home Depot) to seal it and to prevent mold.
3. On the guest house, lay felt paper on the plywood floor, taping them together with clear tape (not overlapping them.)
4. Float the bamboo floorings on the felt paper. The reason for floating is that the bamboo will expand greatly here, much more than other hard wood, and even the 5/8 inch for expansion recommended by Home Legend may not be enough in our weather. If I nail it, it MAY warp and buckle.
5. Sand lightly and paint the whole floor with Varathane to seal the joints.
6. On the slab house where half is covered with linoleum and half with carpeting, I will take out the carpet and put in a cheap linoleum to complete the moisture barrier and FLOAT the bamboo flooring on top of the linoleum. After that paint on Varathane like on the other floor to seal the joints.

Please let me know your thoughts on this. I'm looking for the best solution for this particular problem and am totally open to new ideas.

Thanks in advance.

 

Still waiting for some suggestions for my problem with bamboo flooring in the previous post. Where are all the experts? Would appreciate some advises. Thanks.

 

How much time passed between purchase and opening the product? Wood floors are acclimated in UNopened boxes and opened just prior to installation.

Bamboo is already sealed on all sides, additional sealing is not needed and would not adhere very well.

If this product is growing mold and mildew in the box, what will keep it from happening after it is installed?

If this is 5/8" solid, I do not think that it can be installed using a floating method.

Need more information. If you just picked up the wood and took it home to acclimate and then 3 days later opened the boxes and found mold, I would take them straight back for a refund. If they were not covered properly and were exposed to the elements, that is a different animal.

I would not install this wood, bleach or no bleach, I think this is asking for trouble.

good luck

 

Thank you for your comments although they don't help me much.

I made a mistake in buying the Home Legend bamboo flooring and now have to find ways to use it in the wet weather that I have to live in. Home Legend requires that the rooms "must be maintained at ambient levels, that is, between 60-80 degrees F, with 35%-65% relative humidity... during the acclimation process (min. 72 hours) AND FOR THE BAMBOO FLOOR'S LIFE CYCLE." That will NEVER happen here in the wettest area of the USA. For that matter, those conditions are very hard to maintain anywhere unless one lives in air-conditioned rooms year round and that means NO ONE SHOULD BUY BAMBOO FLOORS by them!

I am trying to apply all the knowledge available so to use it in my weather. I don't agree that "bamboo is already sealed on all sides" because the molds only appear on the sides and the back (bottom) while the top is fine. My question is: What sealer to use?

The bamboo is 5/8" thick. I tried floating it in a room in the new guest house as a test and it is solid but molds appear on the joints between planks and at the sides close to the walls. That is why I thought about sealing the sides. The back can be taken care of by the vapor barrier underneath, and the joints by an extra coat of sealer on top.

Am I asking for trouble? I would like a second or third opinion. Please!

Thanks.

 

Sorry to rant, but with the health problems that mold causes, I would call this a lesson learned and do something else.

 

I posted this question some time ago but only got replies from ONE expert. I had hoped that our experts are more open-minded and receptive to new ideas. Europeans float their wood floorings all the time and move them when they move to another house!

I am stuck with a lot of bamboo floorings (a lot of money) from Home Depot in Hilo, Hawaii, and have no other choice but use them. My search is for the best way. Anybody out there? Would appreciate some informed opinions.

 

This is why you see a lot of ceramic tiles used in humid areas, especially along tropical coasts.

Unless you can get rid of the humidity, your home will eventually dry rot, unless treated lumber is used.

As soon as any untreated wood gets to 14-15% it has enough moisture to grow mold, and introduce dry rot.

 

Follow manufacturer's instructions for acclimation and installation, whether nail down, glue down, etc. Install manufacturer's recommended vapor retarder. If manufacturer's recommendations are not followed, warranties will be voided. If flooring is prefinished, do not apply additional finish. It may be incompatible and result in finish failure and void warranty.

The flooring must be installed in an environment that is dry and well ventilated and where temperature and humidity are maintained at constant levels year round. Temperature at approximately 70 degrees and humidity 35-55%. At 65% or greater, you have conditions conducive to mold. If humidity is high, chances of mold/mildew and flooring failure increase. Address job site conditions, disinfect flooring, and install per manufacturer's instructions. If humidity is high, run dehumidifier.

Gutters and downspouts should be clear and carry water away from structure. Lawn should slope away from structure at least one foot/50'. Crawl space should be dry and vapor retarder of 8 mil. minimum polypropylene over soil, overlapped, taped and run up sides of foundation and held in place with adhesive. If over a basement, basement should be dry.

If on concrete slab, moisture test should be done. Place 2'x2' pieces of clear plastic taped down on all four sides in different areas of concrete and leave 24-48 hours. If condensation occurs, you have moisture emissions and moisture issues. These must be addressed first. A polypropylene vapor retarder can be glued to the concrete. Again, read manufacturer's installation instructions. There is usually a copy in each box of flooring. These usually specify what is required if installing over wood or concrete.

Mold and mildew spores are every where. When they find a damp, poorly ventilated area on surfaces where they can feed, they tend to settle in and set up housekeeping. By eliminating high humidity, improving air circulation with fans, and disinfecting surfaces, the spores tend to settle elsewhere. If living in a rainy and high humidity climate, extra care should be taken to control interior humidity levels, improve air circulation, and keep surfaces clean. Particular care should be taken in storage areas, such as closets, because they areas tend to be closed and are poorly ventilated, thus mold and mildew are often found on items, particularly leather and paper and other organic products.

 

I wish there was an easy answer for your problem in Hawaii, but the truth is that there’s not. This is not to be negative but forthright. I have been in the factories that produce the flooring you purchased, and lets just say it is not made for your part of Hawaii.

I have seen a lot of bamboo floors in Hawaii that look great years after installation, and then some that look 20 years old just weeks after install. This has a lot to do with the quality of bamboo. Big Box stores usually carry a B grade bamboo (younger bamboo, cheaper finish, seal is usually cosmetic only, etc.) Home Depots previous supplier Globalwood Bamboo went out of business due to the large number of claims for problems such as yours.

Once bamboo gets mold, it is almost impossible to get it to disappear forever. I have seen homes in Hawaii that have spent thousands sanding, bleaching, and resealing, only to have the problem come back a year later.

You would be better off getting a different floor. I know you have spent a lot on your bamboo floor, but I am afraid you will just stay frustrated. Perhaps a moisture resistant laminate with a bamboo pattern or bamboo flooring from some of the bamboo pros in Hawaii. I know they actually seal their product on all sides and guarantee it for Hawaii; including Hilo.

If you still want to install the product, let me know and I will send you the instructions used in your part of the state. I will need to know if you are on post and pier with plywood/OSB sub-floor or concrete. If it is concrete you are better off gluing the product down with Bostiks MVP as a moisture barrier and BST as the adhesive. If it is plywood or similar, there is a lot more prep to do for a proper bamboo install in a wet area like Hilo. You can e-mail me at jordanpeterson72@gmail.com to discuss installation instructions that actually work for Hawaii.

Thanks

Michael Peterson

 

Thank you very much, Michael, for your thoughtful and very informative response to my dilemma. This is what I had expected with doityourself.com. I will write to discuss my options with you since you have so graciously given your email address. I'm providing mine below. Thanks again.

Chieu.
(chieutnguyen@gmail.com)