|
|
|
|
All About Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo is a type of flooring, which looks great and will stand up to both commercial and residential use. In addition, bamboo is a renewable resource, which does not contribute to deforestation. For years, bamboo has been know for it hardness, as well as for its beauty and versatility. The most common misconception about bamboo is that it is a hardwood. Bamboo is in fact, a form of grass that when matured has a hardness, which will rival that of maple. Because bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world, controlled harvesting has very little impact on the plant, as the stalk will continue to grow. With in five to six years it will be ready to be harvested again, whereas hardwoods such as maple and oak can take upwards of 50 years and more to mature and then, once harvested the tree has been destroyed. This is why bamboo a very renewable source of flooring material. After bamboo has been harvested, the outer skin of the stalk is removed and the stalk is cut into fillets, or lengthwise strips. These fillets are curved and must be milled along the outer edges in order for them to be flatted. All excess from the process is used to produce strand-woven bamboo flooring, which we will discuss later in this article. Then once the natural moisture in the bamboo has been removed by kiln drying. Once dried, the bamboo fillets are laminated together using glue, which has been applied under pressure to form a solid, dependable surface suitable for flooring. The bamboo slates then undergoes a final stage of compression, making the product even more durable. Finally, then bamboo boards are tongue and grooved in order to make installation a simple process. This is an abstract of the manufacturing process as the entire process depends on the species of bamboo that is used in the manufacturing of the flooring product. Various types of bamboo are processed differently to produce bamboo flooring. When the bamboo is glued to form the boards, it can be laminated either with the narrow edges facing up, resulting in a thin, channel pattern, which is referred to as vertical bamboo flooring, or with the broader surface of the bamboo facing upward, which resembles a more traditional hardwood patterns. This is known as horizontal bamboo flooring. The only differences between the two patterns are visual, and which is preferred depend on your personal taste. The horizontal bamboo flooring has a striking node pattern, which is produced naturally in the bamboo and is equivalent to the growth rings in hardwood species. The vertical bamboo flooring has a unique surface that is characterized by narrow channels created by the binding of the bamboo strips. Both the horizontal and vertical styles are available in the natural or carbonized color. There are only two colors available in bamboo flooring, natural and carbonized. Natural bamboo is a light creamy blonde color that resembles the color of light pine. Many people prefer the natural color, as it tends to brighten an interior room. Carbonized bamboo is a process where the bamboo has been steamed in a large bath, which cooks the natural sugars in the bamboo, caramelizing it. The caramelized sugar then turns brown, which creates the rich dark brown color of the carbonized bamboo. This color is not a stain, but the result of the sugar within the bamboo itself. It should be noted that this process produces reduces the bamboos hardness by about 30%. However, both colors of bamboo flooring are classified as harder than some hardwood species. During the process of bamboo flooring, the excess material that was cut from during the filleting process is processed into strand-woven bamboo flooring. The excess material is intertwined, compressed, and bound with an agent, which is an environmentally safe, UV resistant, as well as scratch-resistant resin. The bonding agent also makes the bamboo more resistant to moisture. The strand-woven bamboo is cut into planks, tongue and grooved, then shipped. Bamboo has many key benefits, which make it a very attractive flooring option, but possible the main reason is that bamboo flooring is an environmentally responsible choice. The harvesting of the bamboo does not harm the plant and in fact, many growers believe that it actually benefits the bamboo plant. In addition, during the manufacturing process of the flooring there is very little wasting of materials. These two factors make bamboo a truly environmentally friendly flooring option. Other benefits of bamboo flooring are that it is easy to clean and it also adds value to your home. When owning bamboo flooring, just as with any other natural wood flooring there are some dos and donts that you will need to follow in order to ensure they keep their beautiful finish for many years to come.
|
Home page |
|
, Use Hardwood Flooring.com |
