Sorry for such a long absence, we have been very busy. John, who runs Reclaimed Hardwood Flooring has kindly sent in a guest post all about a great flooring product that is extremely environmentally friendly as well as very aesthetically pleasing. His article also ties in very nicely with the eco friendly flooring questions I posed and seems like a great choice to make. Have a read and see what you think.
Strand woven bamboo flooring is one of the best new environmentally friendly products to hit the market. The world has woken up to the dangers of over-logging the great forests and jungles and has decided to look for alternatives for hardwood products and one successful alternative to hardwood flooring is strand woven bamboo flooring.
One of the major uses for hardwood in the developed world is now flooring. For many carpets are no good because they collect dust and allergens that make many people sick. Also many carpets are moth-proofed with chemicals that also cause problems for people with allergies. That is the great advantage of hardwood flooring – it doesn’t allow the build-up of dust and allergens and so it is a much healthier flooring choice. Not only that, but hardwood flooring looks beautiful. The grain and patina of wood has a timeless quality that never goes out of style. Furthermore, hardwood flooring lasts a very long time, often more than one generation. Many hardwoods such as oak, hickory and ash are very hard and dense and perfect for flooring that is heavily used. Indeed it is often the case that the hardwood floor outlasts the house. In which case the flooring can be pulled up and reused as reclaimed hardwood flooring.
The great issue with using hardwood for flooring is that hardwood trees require a long time to reach maturity. It typically takes between 50 and 100 years for a tree to reach its full height and development. This slow growth rate means that trees cannot be seen as a renewable resource. Compare that with bamboo that reaches maturity in only five years. Bamboo like rattan, water hyacinth and coconut is fast growing. These trees and woody plants are the natural building and furniture making materials of the future.
Strand woven bamboo is made by harvesting bamboo stalks and cutting them into strands. The strands are then boiled to remove sugars which attract termites. After boiling, the strands are then subjected to extreme heat and pressure with a low VOC adhesive. The resulting compacted strand woven bamboo is hard and dense and resembles lumber wood. Finally, the strand woven bamboo is taken to a mill where it is cut into flooring planks. The great environmental benefit of the process is that all of the bamboo plant is used. There is no waste.
Strand woven bamboo flooring is easy to install. It can be installed over under floor heating systems. It is very possible for a person with D.I.Y skills to do a floating installation or glue or nail the strand woven bamboo flooring planks to a sub floor. With six coats of aluminum oxide finish strand woven bamboo flooring is extremely hard. It has a Janka Hardness Rating of over 2,000 pounds force making it harder than oak, ash, maple and walnut flooring. Strand woven bamboo flooring also has a beautiful grain like hardwood flooring.
And in terms of health benefits, strand woven bamboo flooring is better than hardwood flooring because not only is it allergen free but it is also resistant to mold and fungus and has an anti-microbial property that makes it ideal for children and pets.
And to top it all, strand woven bamboo flooring is often cheaper than traditional hardwood flooring. So strand woven bamboo flooring has all the benefits of hardwood flooring, saves you money and saves the planet valuable providers of oxygen and natural habitat.