ReSource Floors, ASID Industry Partner
Bamboo became a popular flooring choice many years ago. It is wonderfully sustainable, growing
quickly and able to be harvested in approximately 5 years. But then because of poor product quality
from the variety of companies popping up all over selling this material it
began to get a bad reputation. In
addition, when the only bamboo options were natural or carbonized many
designers felt restricted in their vision and opted not to use bamboo even
though it was a great ecological option.
These days bamboo comes in a wide array of colors and
textures and if purchased from a reliable manufacturer offers a wonderfully
durable floor. One of the most interesting
additions to bamboo flooring options is strand bamboo. Instead of cutting the bamboo reeds horizontally
or vertically, the bamboo is ripped down into strands and then compressed with
an adhesive mixture into a cohesive unit.
Because of this construction, strand bamboo is remarkably hard, often
between 2500 – 3500 on the Janka scale. 
In addition, the texture of this material is very different from its horizontal and vertical cousins in that the bamboo knuckles are not so obvious. It offers a very interesting texture to the floor.
It is still very important however to purchase this material
from a reputable company. Because strand
bamboo has made its mark on the market we are again seeing it from every corner
and for a variety of prices. The
harvesting, the adhesives used, the compression and curing of this material is
very important to its overall performance so make sure that you talk to the
experts before directing your clients.
In addition, because of the density of strand bamboo it acts much like a
solid hardwood floor and attention to moisture and time for acclimation must be
considered.
ReSource Floors Inc.
http://www.resourcefloors.com/
"Service with Purpose"
