Bamboo flooring
#20
(06-11-2018, 09:42 AM)Cooler Wrote: I find this comment confusing.

Everything I've read or heard states that the bamboo is colored by roasting the bamboo.  So the color goes all the way through.  

Also note that apparently the longer the roast, and the darker the color, the softer is the material.

In any case unless they are flash roasting the top surface I don't see how this works.  Or perhaps they are laminating a separate dark layer of bamboo.

Confusing in any event.

As Ken said, Cali Bamboo offers several colors which you can see on their website.  It's clear from your comments that there are products with very different properties being sold under the generic name of bamboo.  As such, generalized conclusions about them isn't possible.  You have to look at the individual products being offered to determine how suitable they might be for your specific needs.  

John
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#21
(06-11-2018, 05:53 PM)jteneyck Wrote: As Ken said, Cali Bamboo offers several colors which you can see on their website.  It's clear from your comments that there are products with very different properties being sold under the generic name of bamboo.  As such, generalized conclusions about them isn't possible.  You have to look at the individual products being offered to determine how suitable they might be for your specific needs.  

John
Apparently the "fossilized" is more than just an advertising slogan:  They claim it is the hardest flooring available on the market (wood). 

A 5,000 mark on the Janka Hardness Scale leaves maple (1,450) and white oak (1,360) in the dust.  It is more than 3 times as hard.  

https://www.treehugger.com/green-archite...-ever.html
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
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#22
I will likely take some heat for this, but IMHO wood or bamboo flooring do not belong in a kitchen, bath, or utility area. These areas call for impervious materials of some sort. I think it is hard to beat the durability, and ease of maintenance of a good quality sheet vinyl. My sister built a new home maybe 25 years ago and could have installed any floor in the kitchen she wanted. She put in a beautiful sheet vinyl and it is giving good service still today.

We have split brick in our kitchen that has served us well. Our living area, next to the kitchen, has engineered oak planks. Our refrigerator recently sprang a very slow leak in the water line to the ice maker. The leak was under and behind the refrigerator and we didn't notice it until the engineered oak on the other side of the wall started to darken and the finish bubble up. Even then we didn't notice it for a while because the area is under a piece of furniture. This situation is bad enough. But, had the wood flooring been in the kitchen as well, it would have been a lot worse. Leaks and spills happen and water and wood (or bamboo) are not compatible. A good finish may protect it from spills that are quickly wiped up, but if water gets under it, it may damage the finish and maybe even cause the wood to warp and/or damage the adhesive (if it is glue-down).

I'm sure there are those here that will say they have had wood flooring in there kitchen with no problems. I have a friend that said the same thing to me after I advised him not to do it. I still advise against it.
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#23
Bamboo Wood - Good or Bad Choice?

Just going a little 'off topic' (no experience using bamboo for flooring) - BUT, I've wondered about using 'bamboo lumber' for furniture woodworking (have not priced the material nor looked for a local source) - the 'hardness' features discussed are concerning for their effect on carbide tools - has anyone used this material on their WW projects?  If so, are there softer bamboo woods which is implied in some of the flooring materials discussed?  I'm quite happy w/ my usual hardwoods, so no big need to try bamboo but like the appearance and the nodal pattern - thanks for any input - ALSO, what might be some of the best online ordering sites for the material?  Thanks - Dave
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Piedmont North Carolina
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#24
(06-12-2018, 05:32 PM)giradman Wrote: Bamboo Wood - Good or Bad Choice?

Just going a little 'off topic' (no experience using bamboo for flooring) - BUT, I've wondered about using 'bamboo lumber' for furniture woodworking (have not priced the material nor looked for a local source) - the 'hardness' features discussed are concerning for their effect on carbide tools - has anyone used this material on their WW projects?  If so, are there softer bamboo woods which is implied in some of the flooring materials discussed?  I'm quite happy w/ my usual hardwoods, so no big need to try bamboo but like the appearance and the nodal pattern - thanks for any input - ALSO, what might be some of the best online ordering sites for the material?  Thanks - Dave
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Dave, the finish in on the surface of the fossilized product.  If you rip it or cross cut it, you lose the color and hard as nails finish.  There is no way to duplicate the color and finish outside of the factory that made it.  You could use it to build up a table top if you surrounded it with some type of frame that could be molded, sanded, stained, etc to match the panel and that would hide the raw edge of the bamboo.  The Cali bamboo rips and cross cuts very well but I think it dulled a couple of my blades when I installed my 2 floors that I am having to send them out to be sharpened.  But that isn't bad since I put down around 750 sq ft of flooring.  Ken
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#25
(06-14-2018, 09:16 PM)Ken Vick Wrote: Dave, the finish in on the surface of the fossilized product.  If you rip it or cross cut it, you lose the color and hard as nails finish.  There is no way to duplicate the color and finish outside of the factory that made it.  You could use it to build up a table top if you surrounded it with some type of frame that could be molded, sanded, stained, etc to match the panel and that would hide the raw edge of the bamboo.  The Cali bamboo rips and cross cuts very well but I think it dulled a couple of my blades when I installed my 2 floors that I am having to send them out to be sharpened.  But that isn't bad since I put down around 750 sq ft of flooring.  Ken

Hi Ken - thanks for the comments above - my thoughts were not to use pre-finished flooring, but unfinished bamboo boards/plywood veneers/etc. were in my thoughts (as shown below) - that website seems to be rather pricey for just one board - Dave
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Piedmont North Carolina
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#26
(06-14-2018, 09:32 PM)giradman Wrote: Hi Ken - thanks for the comments above - my thoughts were not to use pre-finished flooring, but unfinished bamboo boards/plywood veneers/etc. were in my thoughts (as shown below) - that website seems to be rather pricey for just one board - Dave
Smile
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In my opinion bamboo has to get to the price levels of red oak or maple before it will be a main stream player in the lumber field.  

I would have to check the 1,300 item list of import tariff products to see if this stuff is going up in price by 20%.

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/fil...301FRN.pdf
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
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#27
(06-15-2018, 09:16 AM)Cooler Wrote: In my opinion bamboo has to get to the price levels of red oak or maple before it will be a main stream player in the lumber field.  

I would have to check the 1,300 item list of import tariff products to see if this stuff is going up in price by 20%.

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/fil...301FRN.pdf

Hi Cooler - my very thoughts on the pricing of bamboo boards, at least from the pic/site that I posted above.  I usually buy my hardwoods from Wall Lumber as 20 BF UPS bundles - my usual purchases are circled and run from about $5.50 to $7.00 per board foot - that bamboo board for $50 in my link calculates out to $12.50/BF, and if you're correct about the 'tariff war' w/ China, then jumps to $15 - believe that I'll stay w/ my usual hardwood choices - PLUS, still not sure how the 'hardness' rating of bamboo would affect my tools?  Thanks for your thoughts - Dave
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Piedmont North Carolina
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#28
Bamboo flooring looks amazing.
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