Vertical and Horizontal Carbonized Bamboo Flooring

A room with bamboo floors.

Carbonized bamboo flooring is quickly becoming a preferred flooring choice. Its color, which is a rich caramel, blends wonderfully with almost any décor. Bamboo floors are environment-friendly, easy to clean, and perfect for those suffering from allergies. Carbonization is a procedure of steaming the bamboo. The sugar inside is heated up so it caramelizes and becomes a brown color; hence, the reason carbonized bamboo has a darker color. It’s not stained, it's carbonized or caramelized. Some people refer to it as a fumed finish. Carbonized bamboo can be woven for a more outlandish look; this will give a tiger stripe look to the boards. During the process of weaving, the bamboo strips are coated and condensed together using heat. The result is the hardest and strongest flooring form.

Installing carbonized bamboo flooring is not that complicated. Contractors won’t need additional training or tools to do it. You can even install it on your own just by following a few easy instructions. Its simple tongue and groove design fit together and you can nail, staple, or glue the boards to the subfloor.

Horizontal Carbonized Bamboo Flooring

Horizontal bamboo is made by aligning and laminating individual strips together horizontally in three layers with environmentally-friendly binding agents. It is created with the bamboo strips' wider edge face up so it displays a wider view of the growth ring of the bamboo. The outcome is a “brush-like” look. Horizontal bamboo flooring can be used in light commercial and residential applications because of its hardness and stability. You can also install it directly over a concrete subfloor as long as it meets the moisture level requirements.

Vertical Carbonized Bamboo

Vertical bamboo is made by placing individual bamboo strips on their sides and laminating them together using environmentally-friendly binding agents. The outcome is an exceptional striped look with slight markings. Vertical bamboo flooring is perfect for those who don’t want to see the large number of growth rings that can be seen in horizontal bamboo flooring.

Pricing

The price of bamboo floors usually depends on the amount of work done during the manufacturing process. The process of horizontal or vertical carbonization is not expensive or complicated so it doesn’t really add much to the bamboo floor’s total cost. Carbonization does, however, compromise the strength of the materials by approximately 30%. It also makes the flooring easier to stain and finish. Most manufacturers know this.

Cleaning the Bamboo Floor

To clean your vertical or horizontal carbonized bamboo flooring, a soft mop or broom should be used. Do not use scratch pads or any harsh chemicals. Water can be used for cleaning too much grime, but it shouldn’t be left to sit on the floor because water can cause stains and cause the wood to warp. Waxing is not necessary but you can apply varnish, especially on the high traffic areas, every few years to keep the shine and luster. If you leave in a humid area, you may want to use a dehumidifier to prevent the bamboo from warping. You can also protect your bamboo flooring by sealing it properly.