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NOT ALL BAMBOO IS CREATED EQUAL
Learn how to distinguish between high-quality, long lasting, sustainable bamboo companies --
and the greenwashed imitations that are likely to warp, cup, crack or toxify your home.
Click on the logo of any manufacturer below for products and prices
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Six key features to look for in quality bamboo flooring:
After eight years of selling bamboo we have learned that all bamboo flooring is not alike. The following criteria has been developed to determine which products are best:
1) Performance
Bamboo floors are tough; but some are much tougher than others. Bamboo hardness varies according to species, maturation time, grain patterns, and color.
Moso is the hardest species;
- 5-7 years maturity is better than 3-5 years,
- Vertical grain is harder than Horizontal,
- Strand woven is much harder than vertical or horizontal grains and
- natural color is harder than carbonized.
2) Environmentally Friendly Finishes and Adhesives Most manufacturers make claims that are not easy to verify. The best manufacturers now use formaldehyde-free adhesives and finishes that exceed European standards for safety and can prove it. These are water-based, solvent-free and do not off-gass toxic chemicals. They may cost slightly more but they are better for your health. This may not be easy to determine by smelling a sample of bamboo, even if it is freshly sawn. You have to know your sources.
| Standards |
Formaldehyde parts per million (ppm)
(e.g. .01 ppm = 1 part per billion) |
| US OSHA |
0.75 ppm (US Dept. of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Admin.) |
| US ANSI |
0.30 ppm (American National Standards Institute) |
German E I,
World Health Organization
US Floors bamboo |
0.10 ppm |
| CARB Phase I |
0.08 ppm (California Air Resource Board, implemented 1-09) |
| Japan JIS/JAS (F***) |
0.098 ppm (Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport) |
| European E0 |
0.07 ppm |
CARB Phase II
GreenGuard Environmental
Institute Certification |
0.05 ppm (California Air Resource Board, implemented 1-10) |
| Japan JIS/JAS (F***) |
0.04 ppm |
Teragren 4' x 8' x 3/4"
plywood panels |
0.03 ppm |
Teragren Studio,
Craftsman II Flooring |
0.03 ppm |
Teragren Synergy,
Signature Naturals flooring |
0.01 ppm |
EcoTimber, Bamboo
Strand Woven Bamboo |
0.00 ppm i.e. zero formaldehyde |
3) Milling and Moisture Control
Your bamboo floor will last a long time if it is properly installed and cared for. However we have found from experience that not all bamboo floors perform equally. Some may split, warp, or delaminate over time. Others may not fit well together from the beginning. Some of these problems are due to poor milling and others are due to moisture. Quality control of moisture at several points during and after manufacturing is critical to maintaining an industry standard of 6-9% moisture content. If a company can't guarantee moisture levels in this range in writing, we don't even consider them because it is far too important to the performance and longevity of the product.
Check this out. Below is a recent photo of a bamboo flooring sample we received from a large internet flooring company which had one of the lowest prices (they are now out of business). When you look at the edge you can see obvious signs of delamination. And this was brand new!
What caused this problem? It could be due to improper drying, poor packaging, faulty glue application, or dull milling equipment. Imagine what might happen if you installed this on your floor? The floor could buckle, twist or warp causing a noticeable and permanent bump in your floor.
The warranty might cover the piece but you would have to rip it out at your own expense and try to find a matching piece to replace it. No small task. Your floor may never look the same. And this could happen to numerous pieces. So much for saving a few bucks.
 Click here to download a free pdf of
EcoTimber's EcoFriendly Flooring Guilde
4) Grading
There now appears to be varying grades of bamboo on the market although they may not be labeled as such. This is due to: age at harvesting time (4 year old bamboo is noticeably softer than 6 year old bamboo), culm (trunk) selection (lower to the ground the stronger), manufacturing processes (some older equipment mills, glues and finishes products differently from newer state of the art factories), certification (while not available in China it is available in the US and Europe for certain manufacturers that comply with those standards of manufacturing).
5) Durable Finish
The Chinese are now finishing most of the bamboo with much better finishes than they did years ago. However, some finishes (especially the inexpensive ones) are simply multiple coats of polyurethane. The best manufacturers use a five-7 coat German finish of aluminum oxide with a super tough scratch resistant ceramic top coat.
It is difficult to tell which finish is the best just by looking at it. You have to know how to test the surfaces to determine which ones chip off easily and which ones don't. Our experience is that most scratch quite easily and leave unsightly marks. Both Teragren and EcoTimber have researched and developed their own versions of highly resistant finishes that are much more durable than most on the market. You have to test these for yourself to see the difference.
6) Longevity
Some manufacturers are so confident of their new finish system they warrant thier products for LIFE against delamination and for 25-years against surface wear (residential) Teragren and US Floors and 27 years Eco-Timber. Commercial warranties are usually 5-10 years.
The questions you need to ask are: 1) "Will the company that sold me the product be around that long?" and 2) "What good is a replacement warranty if I have to pay for the cost of removal and installation which is much more expensive than the floor itself?" Although it is not always easy to choose the best products, seasoned homeowners rely on reputable companies that only sell top quality products. After all, your floors require a significant investment; inferior quality is not worth the risk
In sum: We provide bamboo flooring products that are well made by reputable manufacturers who use quality raw materials, adhesives and milling equipment and who have a commitment to the environment and their employees. We have learned that selling poor quality products, no matter how cheap, are in the long term not a good use of anyone's time or money. That is why we only sell the best.
This chart summarizes all the styles, colors and grains of bamboo flooring:
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Style
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Color
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Grain
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Edge
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Width/Length/Thickness
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Traditional Solid
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Natural/Carbonized/
+ many colors
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Horizontal/Vertical
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Tongue and Groove
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3 3/4" x 36" or 72" x 5/8
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Strand
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Natural/Carbonized plus various dyes
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Strand
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Tongue and Groove
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3 5/8" x 72" x 9/16
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Engineered Plank
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Natural/Carbonized
+ many colors
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Horizontal/Vertical
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Veneer T&G
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7 1/2" x 86 1/2"
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Free Shipping* to a commercial address. See each manufacturer for more details.
SAMPLES
Single samples are $9.95, including shipping. Order single samples with the web description of the type of flooring you want - click on the desired link on this page.
Or, you can receive three bamboo flooring samples for $19.95, including shipping. To order, note the specific kind of samples you want (examples: Traditional Natural Vertical, Plank Carbonized Horizontal, Strand Carbonized). Order Samples Teragren EcoTimber US Floors
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Air and Water Purification
Natural Flooring
Non-Toxic Finishes
Environmentally Friendly Cleaners
Eco-Cabinets, Countertops, Millwork
Wool & Recycled Carpeting
Energy & Water Conservation
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