Bamboo & Carbonized Exotic Flooring- Go Green
Bamboo is actually very environmentally sound. These plants
grow around a foot a day making them some of the fastest growing plants on earth. What this means is that they regenerate quickly and thus the cutting of them for use in flooring is not as damaging to the environment like cutting down an oak that may take 25 years to mature. If you are putting in a wood floor, you owe it to your own sense of style, environmental consciousness, and quality to give it a try. Bamboo flooring is one of the most beautiful materials in today’s design community. Bamboo is a strong material, light, and filled with brilliant details. This inimitable grain, which is setting off throughout nice homes is becoming as smoothly as the original purchase. Buying bamboo flooring through the right people will have a foundation to last a lifetime. It is gorgeous just to look at. It has a unique texture and adds a chic style, beauty and quality to almost any room in which it is installed. Keep reading about one of the most beautiful materials in today's design community. "Proper Care of Bamboo Floors" For the sake of cleanliness and appearance you should wash your floor from time to time after running the vacuum. Any no rinse, clear drying cleaner such as a dish washing liquid mixed with clean water will do. Unlike hardwood floors, bamboo fibers are not subject to swelling, dishing and grain raising problems caused by moisture. The important thing here is to avoid leaving a cloudy or streaky detergent build up on the clear finish, so avoid cleaners that contain oil, acidic or caustic ingredients. It’s really quite easy if you just spend a little time reading the labels. Another good idea is to make the effort to find a good quality micro fiber floor mop. From the very first time you damp mop your floor with one of these you will agree it’s worth it. The super fine fabrics soak up and hold dirt and grime, leaving a clean, clear surface that’s dry in minutes. Never apply wax to your floor. Don’t even be tempted to try it out to improve the shine. Wax can cause adhesion problems even years after it was applied if refinishing is ever required. Remember, Bamboo is definitely harder than the hardwoods most commonly used for flooring, so it will withstand more pressure before denting and gouging, but the surface finish applied to both is about the same. Most gummy and gooey soiling can be easily removed by applying ice until they become brittle, then giving a scrape. A small investment in felt coaster pads that adhere to the bottom offurniture legs will buy years of added life to the finish on your bamboo floor. Next to the abrasive action of grit, scratches caused by moving unprotected furniture about causes the most noticeable damage to your floor, even if damage to the actual bamboo is negligible. YOU CAN EXPECT YOUR BAMBOO FLOOR TO LAST A LONGERShould it come to it, refinishing your bamboo floor is a fairly easy project to complete. Because you won’t have to deal with such problems as cupping caused by excessive moisture or filling gaps resulting from shrinkage during extended periods of dryness, heavy sanding and special equipment isn’t necessary. What you will be doing is clarifying and refreshing the protective surface finish to make your bamboo look like new. If you are handy, it can be done without the help of a professional contractor. Start with a light sanding of the existing surface. Rough it up enough to allow newly applied layers of liquid urethane to grab hold and create a firm bond. You can accomplish this with 100 grit paper rubbed back and forth along the length of the bamboo strips. Do an entire room at a time. When complete, vacuum well, and then use a slightly dampenedcloth to pick up every last speck of the powdery white sanding dust that remains. It is very important to allow the surface to dry completely. If it isn’t, moisture trapped below the new surface can effect adhesion or cause clouding. It is probably best to apply a solvent based urethane. These allow a much longer open time or working time than water based urethanes. Use a lambs wool applicator pad. They make it easy to apply an even coat that is thin enough to avoid pooling, but heavy enough to flow smoothly into the sanding scuff marks. Don’t use a roller because they cause bubbles to form. Allow a full 24 but not more than 48 hours drying time before applying the second coat. Two coats is sufficient to give you a sparkling-like-new floor. The longer you can wait to let the surface dry and cure before returning furniture into place, the better. |
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The Beauty of a Carbonized
Carbonized bamboo is becoming a favorite among home renovators. It’s rich dark caramel color goes nicely with just about every décor. Homeowners especially like the fact that a bamboo floor is easy to clean, environmentally responsible and ideal for allergy sufferers. A bamboo floor will not harbor dust mites or promote any dust at all.
Installation is not more difficult than installing a hardwood floor. A contractor doesn’t need any extra training or tools and will therefore, not charge any more than he would for installing hardwood. Although with a few simple instructions, you can easily install it yourself.
The simple tongue-and-groove design snaps together and the boards can then be nailed, stapled or glued to the sub floor.
Five things you need know about bamboo flooring:
Installation is not more difficult than installing a hardwood floor. A contractor doesn’t need any extra training or tools and will therefore, not charge any more than he would for installing hardwood. Although with a few simple instructions, you can easily install it yourself.
The simple tongue-and-groove design snaps together and the boards can then be nailed, stapled or glued to the sub floor.
Five things you need know about bamboo flooring:
- Carbonized is not stained:The bamboo gets the darker color from inside. Instead of sap, like we see in trees, raw bamboo has sugar inside. By boiling the bamboo strips the sugar caramelizes to produce the darker color.
- Carbonized is softer than natural bamboo:The boiling method softens the bamboo by about 30% leaving it a little more vulnerable to scratches and dents, but still quite durable.
- The difference between vertical and horizontal flooring:Bamboo stalks are small in diameter and hollow. To turn them into boards the manufacturer laminates them together. Horizontal style is when the strips are laid flat, showing the top surface of the bamboo’s growth rings. In the vertical style the strips are turned and laminated on their sides, creating long slender rows. Although the same strength and durability, two completely different appearances.
- Strand woven bamboo is stronger:Natural and carbonized bamboo can both be woven. For a more exotic look, they can be woven together, giving the boards a ‘tiger stripe’ appearance. In the weaving process the strips of bamboo are coated and then compressed together with heat. Resulting in the strongest, hardest form of flooring.
- Cleaning your bamboo floor:
