Strand Woven Bamboo
From Floor Coverings
Contents |
Are strand woven bamboo floors expensive?
What exactly are strand bamboo floors?
They are woven floors and are much harder than vertical or horizontal planks made from pieces laminated to the backing. Natural bamboo is harder than Carbonized Bamboo, which should be used in low traffic areas. Strand woven bamboo floors are one and a half times harder than red oak, so can really be used anywhere you want a hardwood floor. Many people don't think of Bamboo Flooring as very hard but this strand woven type really is. Most strand woven bamboo flooring is available in natural, caramelized (carbonized) and a mixture which looks a lot like a zebra pattern. This lends a natural and freeform shape to the shading on strand bamboo floors and is most unusual and attractive. Bamboo flooring is so renewable due to the rapidly growing features of the giant grass and flooring can be manufactured with more environmentally friendly compounds.
Where would you use them in your home?
Strand bamboo floors, because they are quite hard, can be placed in any room of your house where any kind of hardwood or laminate would be placed. They look so light and airy and natural that the style would suit an urban loft or a studio cottage -- a period house or a newly built one. Bamboo is grown on farms and provides income for people in China. It does not strip away rain forests and because it is so fast growing, installing strand bamboo floors in your home is an ecologically sound move. Bamboo naturally looks great with a tropical decor, or with simple white furnishings. Bamboo used to be used only for a few furniture pieces. Strand bamboo floors are really becoming popular because of their more durable properties and beautiful patterning. They are suitable for most any room in your home.
How do you install them?
Bamboo flooring is as easy to install as any Laminate flooring because it uses the tongue and groove method. A homeowner can lay down this type of flooring in a few hours. The subfloor has to be smooth, dry and lump free and the underlayment can be a foam sheet or other type of layer, often included in pre-boxed packages of strand bamboo and other flooring planks. Simple manufacturers' instructions are always included and you may also visit the various websites for further info. Just don't start in a corner as you may get a thin and not pretty strip left at the last wall edge! Measure and start in the middle and go outwards left and right, to make an evenly divided leftover edge. Make sure to lay down the planks like a brick wall. A simple power saw will be needed to cut about half in half, and the rest as long or short as needed.
