Green Shoots Blog
Choosing the right bamboo flooring
You’ve probably noticed that “green” is trending. Why? As awareness grows for the critical importance of protecting our natural resources, more and more people are willing to explore sustainable building options — including bamboo flooring. The problem, however, is that a quick internet search on bamboo flooring pros and cons can return a lot of contradictory information, leaving you with equal parts intrigue and apprehension. We want to help you shape an intelligent understanding of how bamboo is sourced, manufactured, acclimated, installed, and maintained in order to alleviate your concerns and enable you to make empowered and informed decisions when choosing your flooring.
Bamboo Origins
The story of bamboo begins deep in the heart of the Anhui province of China. Here you can find Moso bamboo: The species most renowned for strength, hardness, and versatility. Incredible in natural abundance, Moso grows at a rate that far exceeds human ability to harvest it. This remarkable resource is self-sustainable, and has been used for centuries due to its natural structural properties. As the popularity of bamboo rises, the costs associated with sourcing and producing it are driven down. This has allowed Mosu to become a competitive material in today’s building market.
The first models of bamboo flooring launched in the 1990’s, but had a number of setbacks. The initial product wasn’t very aesthetically pleasing, and was susceptible to denting. The good news? Since that time, manufacturing processes have improved so much that they are now capable of producing a product that can outperform even the hardest of traditional hardwoods. The bad news? Bamboo manufacturing is not currently subjected to strict quality control standards, which leaves it vulnerable to those who want to cut corners. Differences are often hard to determine with the naked eye, so it is crucial to understand other ways to differentiate between low cost and quality bamboo flooring.
Bamboo Basics
Harvesting Bamboo
The quality of bamboo floors begins with the very first step: Harvesting bamboo. High grade bamboo flooring uses Moso bamboo harvested at its peak, which is around 5-7 years. Low quality floors, on the other hand, use younger bamboo, which makes it softer. Quality bamboo is thoroughly dried to 6-8% moisture, while low quality floors dry to 8-12% — cutting time to market and saving on labor, but resulting in far less durable flooring.
Bamboo Durability
A second way manufacturers can cut corners is with the amount of bamboo used in each plank. The true test? Holding samples in hand. Heavier samples indicate quality and durability, while lighter samples suggest inadequate density and planks that may bend and even break. Apart from in-hand testing, the easiest way to determine the durability of bamboo flooring is to reference its “Janka hardness rating”. This score (achieved through a process of applying thousands of pounds of pressure) helps determine how well the floor will hold up under weight, as well as its potential for scratching and denting. Many traditional hardwoods and bamboo floors will rank in the 1,000-2,000 pound range for Janka hardness, while many Cali Bamboo floors rank upwards of 4-5,000.
Bamboo Finish
The next key factor in choosing bamboo flooring should be the amount of finish applied to the floors. Low quality manufacturers use fewer coats of aluminum oxide or other finishes, which shortens production time and lowers cost, but means more scratches and damage in the long run. High quality manufacturers utilize multiple coats to protect the floor from wear: We actually require a minimum of 10 coats of aluminum oxide finish. If you’re looking into options from various manufacturers, performing a simple scratch test on samples can be highly effective in determining the quality of the finish.
VOCs and Bamboo
A final determining factor in the quality of the floors is the type of adhesives used. Many manufacturers use inferior glues that not only affect the integrity of the product, but contain and release toxic chemicals. These chemicals can be harmful to homeowners and their families when ingested through off-gassing (a process by which installed materials slowly release carcinogens into the surrounding atmosphere). “Volatile Organic Compounds” (VOCs) like these can pose serious health risks to anyone, but are especially dangerous for young children due to the vulnerability of their developing respiratory systems. All Cali Bamboo floors use peak-harvested Moso bamboo that is dried to 6-8% moisture, and every floor has ultra low VOCs to protect our customers and their families.
Engineered Bamboo
If you’re looking for an engineered product, a product called “engineered bamboo” has been recently brought to market in the green building community. However, just as with solid bamboo, not all engineered bamboo is equal. Low-cost engineered bamboo is made up of mostly “mystery” woods and a very thin top (wear) layer of bamboo, making it only partially eco-friendly and much less durable. Cali Bamboo recently launched a line of Hybrid™ (engineered) bamboo flooring, made of a wear layer of Fossilized® bamboo, a core of cross-layered eucalyptus, and a base of ubiquitous poplar. Quality engineered bamboo flooring should always be composed of is a true mix of sustainable woods. It’s important to look for these characteristics when choosing an engineered product.
Bamboo in Action
Armed with a keen awareness of the importance of how a floor is manufactured, interested homeowners can move forward in choosing quality bamboo: Bamboo that is harder, more durable, flexible, versatile, and even comparable in cost to traditional hardwoods. But if all this is true, what then keeps homeowners from purchasing bamboo flooring? Some of the additional apprehension about bamboo centers around a lack of knowledge regarding application, installation, and care and maintenance.
Bamboo Installation
Bamboo can be installed across a variety of commercial and residential applications, over any subfloor, and solid bamboo can even be installed over radiant heat. In addition, while solid bamboo can be applied in almost every area, engineered bamboo products open the door to environments with extremely low or high humidity (such as below-grade rooms, like basements). Like all traditional hardwoods, bamboo flooring expands as it absorbs humidity and shrinks as the air grows drier. Unlike traditional hardwoods, bamboo has been known to expand unilaterally. While traditional hardwood planks only expand in one direction along the grain, bamboo’s lack of grain can cause expansion in two directions. The effects of this type of expansion can be minimized by allowing for expansion space along all four edges of a room, and by following a manufacturer’s pre-installation guidelines. Pre-installation guidelines often include keeping subfloors clean and level, applying vapor barriers to concrete subfloors, choosing the correct underlayment for the application, and allowing a floor to acclimate for the recommended time frame.
Bamboo Acclimation
Solid bamboo flooring usually requires a minimum of 5 days (longer for areas with extremely low or high humidity) for acclimation. Proper acclimation allows floors to adjust to the conditions in which they’ll be installed, and allows the homeowner to mix and mingle planks, accounting for natural color variation in the bamboo. After flooring has been properly acclimated, it can then be installed based on the method recommended by the manufacturer. Installation options often vary based on how the planks have been milled: Industry standard tongue and groove (T&G) is the most versatile format, allowing for gluing, nailing, and floating. Click-lock milling, while beloved by DIY-ers for its simplicity, can only be glued or floated, not nailed down. Cali Bamboo offers flooring that can be installed using all four methods: T&G, nailing, gluing, and floating. Regardless of method preferred, it is vital to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and choose the proper method of acclimation in order to diminish any potential for future concerns.
Refinishing Bamboo
The final question regularly posed by people considering bamboo is “Can it be refinished?” Traditional hardwoods have been around so long that homeowners have become programmed to brace themselves for the pain and anguish of a laborious refinishing process every 5-10 years. Not only is this a huge disruption in anyone’s personal life, it is a difficult, expensive, time-consuming process that creates a hyper-awareness of every small imperfection in the floor. Strand-woven, aluminum-oxide finished solid bamboo flooring breaks this cycle due to its extreme resistance to denting and scratching. While it can be refinished, it rarely (if ever) needs to be.
Bamboo Care and Maintenance
All of this prep work leads to one last consideration: How to keep bamboo flooring looking great for many years to come. Just like hardwood floors, bamboo flooring performs best when kept free of dirt and debris; when homeowners use only a vacuum designed for hard surfaces and never wet mop the floor; and when the only chemicals utilized for treatment are those recommended by the manufacturer. Light surface scratches (typically appearing as white lines) can be easily disguised using a color-matched touch-up marker. For deeper gauges, a fill stick can be used prior to the touch-up marker. Keeping the home’s relative humidity as consistent as possible and avoiding prolonged exposure of the floors to direct sunlight also helps minimize wear and discoloration.
The Bamboo Advantage
Bamboo flooring is increasing exponentially each year in its market share of the hardwood flooring industry. The rising popularity of this product has led to significant advancements, making it more durable and affordable than ever. The eco-friendly nature of bamboo ensures its ability to meet increased demand, and aesthetic improvements allow it to mimic many modern design trends (such as wide and ultra-wide plank, oil hardwax finishes, and unique, hand-scraped surface distressing). Cali Bamboo offers high quality bamboo floors in any style and color variation that appeals to more traditional hardwood lovers, but with three times the hardness — for an eco-friendly, beautiful product that is built to last a lifetime.
We are planning on installing GeoWood Bamboo in a kitchen (as has been recommended because of water resistance etc. ) and then installing Ikea kitchen cabinets etc. We are planning on floating the floor.
My questions are: 1) Should we be concerned about the legs of the cabinets resting on the geowood floor?(Ikea cabinets mount primarily to the wall on a rail and have front legs that rest on the floor in the front behind a toekick.) And 2) Should we be concerned about weight of the refrigerator?
Hi Thom,
I’m glad to hear you are aware of the 500 lb recommended weight limit for items with a floated floor. If you had said you were installing solid flooring, I would be a bit more concerned, but the GeoWood product is very stable, and you should be just fine.
My home is 1200 ‘. Floor is what i call chip board on tgi joists. Plan to do all floors.2 bed 2 bath laundry large open kitchen & living room. Wood stove heat in living room. Worked in home construction 45 years.Am good with tools Live in a forest at 2000’ in n.virginia on a mountain. Am 70. Can handle the work. Only want to do this 1 more time. Wife wants bamboo. Will be using your products. Wife likes lighter colors. Do you recommend nail – glue – float. I like a flow room to room. I have no kids but 2 135 pound rotts. Any recommendations will help Thank you.
Hi John,
You are much stronger than I. I did this at age 40 and I’d have to think pretty hard about doing it again by myself. Since you live in an environment we would refer to as extreme, and you want the floor to flow from room to room without breaks, you’re going to want to nail it down (tongue and groove). If you go with solid flooring be sure to acclimate the flooring for a minimum of 2 weeks prior to installation and allow 1/2″ expansion space around all fixed objects and you shouldn’t have any issues. I’d actually recommend getting our engineered product as you only need to acclimate a few days, and you can use most any nailer out there. The trickiest thing with our solid flooring is finding the proper nailer to rent in your location. For solid bamboo and eucalyptus, we recommend only using the 18 gauge PowerNail 50P Flex. Assuming you can get your hands on the nailer, it’ll take just a little adjusting to find the right pressure that seats the nail but doesn’t cause a dimple. Lighter colors will brighten up rooms and are generally easier to keep clean (hides dog hair better) so I wouldn’t disagree with her on that front. Our solid and engineered floors are loved by pet owners and while your two large pups may do some slipping and sliding on the new floors at first, the aluminum oxide finish will keep the scratching to a minimum. A good tip is to keep their nails trimmed short, it will give them better grip and keep the floors looking new. Best of luck to you John, and don’t forget to take lots of pictures as you go, we love seeing a project come together!
I live in the Northeast and have purchased the Cali Bamboo T & G Fossilized Hardwood Flooring. (not click-lock) During the 4 week acclimation the relative humidity range was about 30% & 50%. I intend to try and maintain a 20% relative humidity range by using a humidifier or dehumidifier when I see the humidity decreasing in the Winter or increasing in Spring/Summer.
Due to reviews, I would rather float the T&G and will maintain a min. 1/2″ expansion gap around all walls to allow for uniform movement rather than nail or glue to the subfloor and potentially have buckling or cupping of planks. The instructions recommend using the Titebond adhesive along the bottom sides of the flooring grooves. Would you recommend gluing ALL planks or just the first few and last few planks? The rooms are just under 14′ wide so I will have 31 of the 5 3/8″wide planks.
Hi Allen,
To be clear, with a floated install, no plank is to be secured to the floor by glue, nails or any other method. Use Titebond T&G glue to glue each plank to each other. You’ll be placing the glue in grooves on two sides of each plank, so you’ll want to start with the grooves against the wall (with a 1/2″ spacer).
We are planning to rip out the carpet in our split entry (or raised ranch) home and replace with either engineered hardwood or bamboo. We live in a 4 season climate, but run a humidifier or A/C to control humidity levels. I have done so much research that my head is swimming. My concerns are noise control (my husband works on the lower level), moisture (dining room and entry way), withstanding 3 little kids, and cost (we would install ourselves and my husband is very handy). We are also deciding if we are doing the top level or the bottom as well (which has a very hot coal stove on a brick apron). Width wise, we would have a 26 ft run. Do you have recommendations on engineered vs solid, installation method, color, extra materials needed that would contribute to cost of laying on plywood, anything that would help clarify things for me?
Hi Anita,
Great questions!
Since you live in a region that experience extreme moisture and temperature fluctuations, solid flooring installation instructions must be followed very closely to avoid unwanted movement during seasonal changes. Solid can be installed but you must take your time and do it right. Engineered flooring is more forgiving to these fluctuations and is probably a better choice as long as you can find a style you love. Even safer is our Bamboo GeoWood, this flooring has a waterproof limestone composite core, super DIY friendly click-lock installation and the hardness and scratch resistance our Solid Bamboo flooring is known for. The only drawback here is limited color options. That said, Our Pro Line of vinyl floors has the same limestone core and rapid click-lock system but comes in a wide range of colors and styles. This is most definitely not the rolled vinyl flooring of the 80s. Nearly indistinguishable from hardwood, the limestone core gives the floor added weight which makes it feel and sound like hardwood when walked on. Whichever product you go with, we’re here to help you through the entire process and we look forward to discussing your project with you in the near future. If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to call us or you can just reply here.
Best,
Walker
We live in Santa Fe, Texas (between Galveston and Houston). We are replacing our floors and want to install the solid bamboo, dark color, hand or wire brushed, or distressed look. Is bamboo a good option for this climate? We have a concrete slab. I wanted to put it in the kitchen too. Should I do that or not?
Hi Paula,
Sounds hot and dry. While solid bamboo will work, you’ll definitely want to follow our pre-installation and installation instructions to a T, any shortcut or skipped step could cause issues. If you don’t have complete faith in your installers ability to follow specific instructions (many don’t) then I would choose Engineered or GeoWood over solid, they are more forgiving in extremely dry or extremely humid (or both) environments.
I bought approximately 800 sq. ft. of the Java Fossilized wide click design about 4 years ago, 2 years later I had some water damage and had to purchase another 50 sq. ft. to replaced the damaged pieces but the click design was changed sometime during those 2 years and so I couldn’t click the different designs together so the installer nailed them instead now i have a few 3/8″ gaps in the winter, is there any was of buying 30 sq. ft or so of the old click design?
Have you spoken to our support team? [email protected]
I live in Maine, on a lake, and have concrete floors with radiant heat in them (but we don’t use the radiant). We also have a wood plank ceiling which has a lot of shrinkage in the winter. I was going to go with rigid core vinyl plank for my flooring, but saw your engineered bamboo. How would this work for my needs? I don’t want to worry that the product will get wet with footprints and drips that might not be immediately wiped up – though I would clean up major spills. I was in Lowes and saw something about your engineered wood being waterproof, but I cannot find it on your website. Thank you.
Hi Nancy,
While our Engineered line is more tolerant to moisture than say solid bamboo or eucalyptus, it’s not waterproof, and it sounds like you looking for something with a bit more protection. It this case our Cali Vinyl flooring is waterproof and nearly indestructible. It’s nice enough, but if you want water resistance and the feel of real hardwood (because it is) then look at our GeoWood line!
Best,
Walker
I thought I’d read that for below grade/basements it is highly recommended to do a glue down installation vs a floating installation? I’m in Michigan and I’m installing a DRIcore subfloor (OSB over a raised polyethylene moisture barrier) so the engineered bamboo will be sitting on wood rather than right on the concrete. I’d obviously rather do a floating installation. Also should I install a further barrier between the subfloor and the bamboo? I’d assume yes if only for noise reduction.
Thanks!
Hi Sam,
This sounds good. Yes, I would also use Cali Complete underlayment (no tape needed) between the wood subfloor and the engineered flooring. Be sure to leave 1/2″ expansion space around all fixed objects, this video covers floating best practices very well. Take pictures and send them to [email protected]!
Best of luck!
HI, I was looking at the Eucalyptus 5″ X 4′ fossilized mocha #7007007500 for a florida condo, 2nd floor , concrete subflooring. The specs mention nailing and gluing but nothing about floating. Can it be floated and is this an adequate choice for use in kitchen as well as bedroom and livingroom..thanks
Hey there MuddDucks!
Since Florida is considered an extreme climate (humidity) I would look at the Engineered Eucalyptus. It is click lock and can be floated, and the engineered product resists expansion and contraction as seasons change.
I live in western Washington state, close to the water. It rains a lot here…. I’m interested in a Bamboo floor but hesitate after reading reviews. Do you have a recommendation? Im thinking an engineered floor would be the safest way to go.
Thanks
Hi Clark,
You’re right, engineered is safer. Geowood is safer than engineered and vinyl is safer than all of them.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
I live in southern Indiana. Would a floating solid bamboo flooring be an option in a living room and dining area? I have plywood subflooring over an encapsulated crawl space.
Hi Tiffany,
I checked the average humidity in your area and while it’s high, it’s consistently high which is good. Floating is fine, I would make sure you acclimate for a minimum of 10 days, allow for 1/2″ expansion gap around all fixed objects during installation and break up long runs and rooms with t-moldings, and you should be just fine. More details instructions for floating solid floors can be found here. Also, this is a great video that explains how floated floor expansion and contraction.
Can Cali Bamboo Bourbon Barrel solid tongue and groove flooring be used in a bathroom? Can it handle the moisture of a bathroom?
Solid flooring in a bathroom or kitchen is always a bit of a gamble as one overflowed toilet or leaky dishwasher can open up the possibility of water damage. If this is a risk you’re willing to take, you’ll definitely want to make sure to follow our installation requirements closely and barring any flooding your flooring should be just fine.
I live in the florida panhandle andhave ti replace my floors due to the hurricane. I have been told by a few flooring stores that bamboo is not a good choice for florida due to the humidity and that I would have alot of probblems with it. and that is why many stores do not carry it. I currently have engineered brazilian cherry and received a sampe of some bamboo from you and love the color, but am now concerned. Please clarify.
Hi Sheila,
So your concerns are warranted. Any solid hardwood floor is going to react to swings in temp and humidity. If your heart is set on a color that only comes in solid, there are some things you can do to minimize potential issues.
1. Acclimate for 14 days minimum
2. Leave 1/2” expansion space around fixed objects
3. Glue or nail down
If your installer can’t handle this, consider another product.
The next best thing to solid is engineered, and we’ve got most of our solid colors in an engineered version.
Still not convinced? Go with Geowood, it’s mostly limestone so it’s not going anywhere.
Lastly there’s vinyl. I’m not a big fan since I have real wood in my home, but it does look really nice, it’s cost effective and nearly indestructible. The only thing vinyl doesn’t give you is added resale value as nobody really puts “vinyl flooring” as a selling feature on their home listing.
I hope these tid bits help. You can also visit our YouTube channel, there’s a bunch of videos of Laura that help answer some common questions.
https://www.youtube.com/user/calibamboo/videos
In particular the one titled ‘Picking a Floor’ goes over all the options I discussed above.
Good luck!
Walker
I have purchased antique java click floor. And it was stacked 3 days ago, the smell is very strong when is this gonna go away? It burns my eyes.
Hi Angela,
Bamboo does have a woodsy scent, and some people seem to have stronger reactions than others, but rest assured, it is not anything harmful that warrants concern. It should dissipate after a few days with adequate ventilation, opening a window can help. If it still offending after a few more days, please contact our service team at [email protected] and they can further assist you.
Does your company make outdoor BAMBOO exterior decking.
Hi Mike,
Our BamDeck Composite is made with bamboo and recycled plastics.
My husband and I need to redo flooring in our living area. Our house is 15 years old and a mix of hardwood and rug (which needs to be replaced). After looking at some options for our living room, we ran across your product and now will be considering Cali Bamboo (Natural Fossilized Wide Click) for then entire area. That would mean tearing out all floors in our family/living room, dining room and entry way (open floor plan) which would be budget breaking but possibly the right thing to do. However, we are concerned about true wear and tear. We entertain quite frequently and have two dogs that run and play – hard. I guess you could say we LIVE (really a lot!) in our home 🙂 Can you tell us if what we are looking at is the right type of product? Does Cali Bamboo offer anything that is more sturdy/harder wearing for tough living? My husband is a cancer survivor and extremely sensitive to dust, dirt, chemicals and fumes so we are EXTREMELY interested in low VOC products – and typically gear all purchases toward environmentally safe products (as affordable and possible). I believe you have different types of bamboo flooring available under Cali Bamboo. Recommendations on which brand type of Cali Bamboo flooring for high level activity areas
would be be appreciated.
What state are you in Felice?
I’ve started installing Eucalyptus Wide Click. I let the wood acclimatize as instructed, the base floor is plywood, it was swept clean and smooth, I did not test to see if it was less than 1/8” over whatever distance but it was pretty flat. I have used a 3mm felt underlayment. I’m getting a bit concerned…I’ve only installed about 25% (200+ sqft) but have noticed that everywhere I walk the floors give and creak. The give I expected with a floating floor; the creaking noises I did not. Will this go away as the wood settles and acclimatizes more, or do I need to change my installation technique before I get too much further down the installation path?
Hi Josh,
My floors did the same and I had never had hardwood floors before so I just thought that was part of it, but after a month or two the noises started diminishing and a year later, they are silent, so it may just take a little time for them to settle in.
Walker
Did this creaking noise ever get better ? I just put this in my new house and the noise is awful.
Hi, we have purchased Vintage Java Fossilized® Bamboo Flooring for living and dining room but now we want to install it in the kitchen as well since all these rooms are connected.
Is the floor suitable for kitchens considering the fact that in kitchens are always more spills, “wet”accidents etc?
We would not install it under cabinets so do we need to nail it?
Hi Robert,
Kitchens are fine. You’ll want to try and install it using the same method as the other flooring. Depending on how your rooms are laid out, if you’re floating it, you’ll want to break the rooms up with t-moldings, but if you nail or glue down the flooring can flow from room to room unbroken.
We installed (staple installation) engineered Cali floors in March of this year to our main floor of a ranch house. They look great, BUT I discovered a buckle the other day. We have been having some ridiculous weather lately (hot to cool to rainy) and had doors/windows open for a majority of that time. I guess I am wondering if a dehumidifier in the basement will resolve the situation or if we are going to have to pull boards to fix. (I’m not sure if the humidity popped the staples or if the installers missed a board maybe?). Any thoughts on if this will go away or if it is permanent? (also, I have a large buffet near the site – maybe I need to move the buffet for now? Any insights are appreciated.
Hi Becky,
I forwarded your question to our service department, they’ll have some good suggestions for you.
Walker
We had about 1500 square feet of Antique Java click and lock flooring and a moisture barrier underlayment installed on top of existing tile. We live in central Texas where the humidity is naturally high, so the flooring was acclimated for 13-15 days before installation and after install we didn’t have any issues for about 2 weeks. Last weekend we received about 3 inches of rain and the flooring began to buckle. Within the week we had 6-7 spots with buckling and now we have about 10. Do you recommend we pull up the buckled spots and glue them back down? If not adjusted now, will the flooring flatten when the ground/slab are no longer swollen from rain?
Hi Jenny,
Can I ask what moisture barrier you used? The moisture barrier should have kept expansion to a minimum, since you did such a good job acclimating. Also, did you allow 1/2″ of expansion space around all fixed objects? A floated floor needs plenty of space to expand and contract with the seasons. If you’ve done everything properly, then a floated floor may not be the best installation for your home. Ideally, you should pull up the tile and glue to the subfloor, or you could also lay down 3/4″ plywood and glue to that if your doorways will allow for the extra floor height.
Hi Walker,
We used Cali Complete 100-sq ft Premium 1.5 mm Flooring Underlayment. Prior to underlayment installation, a floor leveler was added across the entire floor plate. I know there were gaps around all fixed areas but I’m not sure if the gaps were 1/2″ or 1/4″. The company who installed the flooring says they sent their best and most experienced crew to install, so I would assume they left the appropriate gaps as needed. They will be assessing steps to fix the issue and hopefully they can come up with a solution for the problem areas. Fingers crossed!
Did they use the metallic seal tape to seal off the Cali Complete seams?
Yes they did.
Good, it sounds like they did everything by the book. If they can’t come up with a solution, contact our support team at cust[email protected].
I’m starting to have buyers remorse…after hearing about heavy objects, expansion gaps, T-Moldings in every doorway. I bought the click lock Cali Bamboo floating floor….but I’m wishing I’d have gotten the nail down type. Can I nail down the click lock kind?
Hi Steven,
At this point returning the flooring may cost you a restocking fee. Best thing for you to do is glue down the click lock flooring, the glue may add a bit of cost and extra work but you won’t need to be as concerned about movement, and you won’t need those t-moldings or underlayment either.
Should I use Ardex self leveler on my concrete floor and then the Titebond 531 or vice versa?
Hi Richard,
Get everything level, then seal it with 531+.
Cheers,
My house has the bamboo flooring from Lowe’s. Kids have dented and dinged it up. Can it be sanded down and refinished?
If it is Cali Bamboo flooring yes, it can be refinished. If it is another brand, you’ll need to check the edge of the plank and see if it is solid bamboo or engineered with at least a 3/16″ layer of bamboo. If it is a laminate or thinner than 3/16″ I would not recommend refinishing. Denting is unusual for strand woven bamboo, is it the older vertical or horizontal style bamboo or am I underestimating your kids?
Hello!! My husband and I bought the Natural Fossilized solid bamboo. We are planning on waffle stacking it tomorrow to begin the acclamation process. Anyways, we are installing on the second floor of our house and we already have the old carpet removed. I have about 975 square ft, which includes the master bedroom, two additional bedrooms, and the hallway.
I’m not a fan of the transition pieces for the doorways, so is there a recommended way to install for such a large area? I really want the floors to look as sleek and smooth as possible and I think the doorway transitions would make it look too choppy.
I’m looking forward to using the Cali Bamboo in my house and I just want to make sure it’s done properly.
Hi Jenn,
Since you are upstairs I’m assuming your subfloors are plywood or OSB? In this case if you wanted a seamless floor from room to room you will need to nail down the flooring. You should be able to rent the Powernail 50P Flex 18‑Gauge Wood Flooring Nailer at your local home improvement store.
Thank you, Walker! Yes, you are correct, they are plywood subfloors. I wanted to make sure that nailing was the best way to get the look I’m going for.
I appreciate the quick response!
Sure thing! Be sure and take lots of pictures and send them to [email protected].
Can your fossilized bamboo be use in Reno we have low humidity in the summer and mid to high in the winter .This will be on a concert floor?
Absolutely, we have lots of happy customers in Reno:
Chrissy and her two big dogs Alex and Blue
Brad and his Tahoe Cabin
John and his dog
Jason and Michelle
Eldorado Casino Floor
If you are looking for an installer, we’d recommend Nate with Renew Bamboo. We visited Nate and his customers a few years back.
We live in Missouri – a high humidity state. I have friends that have had your product installed and have had numerous issues with shrinking. What can be done to reverse the issue and what needs to be done to insure no future issues? Would a humidifier help? If so, will a room size work or is a whole house humidifier required?
Hi Kristi,
Humidifiers can help, but it not a practical solution. Your best defense against floor movement is to acclimate the flooring as long as possible prior to installation, nail or glue down the floor, and choose a floor designed to resist moisture fluctuations such as Engineered or GeoWood.
Their flooring has been installed for 2 years…is there anything they can do at this point to reverse the shrinking? They were told they had to have a whole house humidifier and insure humidity in the home stay between 40 & 60%, is this right?
Hi Kristi,
We recommend keeping the relative humidity within a 20% range of what the flooring was acclimated to. If the flooring was properly acclimated for 5-10 days at 50% humidity, the humidity in the home can go as high as 70% or as low as 30% before any action should be taken. Have they contacted our support team? They are full of tips and tricks on this topic. Email [email protected].
Best,
Walker
My installer recommended Cali Bamboo’s Vintage Java click lock be floated over a ceramic tile floor. I tried ripping up the tile from the concrete subfloor, but the job proved extremely difficult for even the mechanized floor breaker. The flooring that is to go over the tile is about 1100 sqft on our first floor and there’s enough clearance beneath our doors and such. In addition to the floors, I purchased the Cali Complete underlayment and seaming tape. Would a floating install over cermic tile work? Is it advisable? I live in South Florida and plan on acclimating for ten days.
Hi Allen,
Using the Cali Complete should be fine, but keep in mind, if you have large grout lines that dip down between tiles, you may experience floor noise when walked on.
Hi, we are in the process of building a home and are wanting to put Antique Java Fossilized bamboo flooring in our living/dining/kitchen area (all one open space) and the small hallways that connect to this area. We would be installing the floor before we have our kitchen cabinets and island installed, is that a problem or what is the best way to go about installing the floor before the cabinets and island are installed?
We also live in Kentucky, so it gets pretty humid here in the summers. How long would we need to acclimate the wood?
Thank you
Hi Jenny,
I’m glad to hear that you are thinking of these things beforehand. Humidity fluctuations can affect wood floors, especially solid wood. Proper acclimation can reduce expansion and contraction but it can and will still occur. Because you want the floor to spread into multiple rooms, I would nail down or glue down, this will eliminate the need for transition pieces between rooms. Since you like the Antique Java color, your best bet is going to be with the engineered version, it will give you the beautiful look, moisture stability and scratch resistance with only a slight loss of hardness as compared to a solid floor.
Best,
Hello I was wondering if the cali bamboo products work on walls as well?
Hi Frank,
Sure, we’ve seen lots of people use flooring on the walls. Here’s a post on using flooring for everything but. Legal disclaimer, it is not however warranted for any purpose other than flooring.
Hey! I am wondering if Norwex products would be safe for the floor. I have cognac stranded bamboo floating floor. Norwex is a high end microfiber cloth embedded with microbial silver. Here is the description from their website.
The BacLock* in the cloth—our exclusive micro silver antibacterial agent—goes to work to self-purify and inhibit odors from bacteria, mold and mildew growth within the cloth within 24 hours so that it is ready to use again.
It looks like a superfine microfiber cloth. Is it safe to use on my floor, chemical free.
Also how can I keep a shine on the floor?
That should be fine as long as you aren’t using too much water, be sure and wring it out almost completely dry. If you want to be really safe, use it on an inconspicuous area of the floor for a few weeks before using everywhere. Now you’ve got me super interested in this thing…
Hello,
we are considering installing the fossilized bamboo flooring in a new home we are building in North Idaho. I am interested in any and all comments from others in our Pacific Northwest region who have installed the fossilized bamboo. We have an 80 lb very active dog. I am interested in any feedback from others with dogs in the area with this flooring. Any experiences with humidity or temperature changes?
Thanks!
You’ve come to the right place. Most of our floor owners own large dogs and swear by Cali Bamboo for its dent and scratch resistance. Here are some videos of pet lovers talking about their Cali Bamboo floors. I’ve forwarded your contact info to a Green Building Specialist who works with homeowners in your area, they should be able to answer all of your questions.
Best,
We are looking at replacing out Hickory Hardwood with the Napa Fossilized wide T&G. We live in the Philadelphia are of Pa. I have some questions if you do not mind.
1. All the pictures I see on the website shows heavy striping, yet all of the display material seems to lack this, even the large display pieces. What will the finish actually look like?
2. With the fossilized/distressed look, some boards appear to have a pitted/distressed/scraped look, what percentage of boards are like this per box?
3. Have read a lot of horror story reviews about peeling and boards bowing width wise after install, how what percentage of installs have had this occur? Is there relevant data on issues with the flooring and what was the environment those floors had been found in.
4. In each box, what percentage of boards is considered usable? Do you have an ratio or percentage of defective boards/unusable boards per box?
5. Can you direct me to actual photos of the Napa Fossilized flooring installed?
Thank you!
1. While batches of the flooring vary slightly, Napa and Catalina are designed to have darkened edges. If this is something you dislike, then Boardwalk is similar in color without darkened edges.
2. While the amount of distressing will vary from plank to plank, it would be safe to assume that there is some kind of marking on every plank. Again, Boardwalk has less distressing if this is something you want to avoid.
3. Unfortunately, we can’t control whether or not our customers follow our installation guidelines accurately. It’s human nature to skip ahead and cut a corner or two to save some time. That said, we only have about 1% of installs go unrepairable. Our NPS (Net Promoter Score) is something we monitor closely and is currently at 78, which is higher than Apple and Starbucks.
4. All of the planks in the carton are usable when it leaves our warehouse and most damage occurs during shipment. As long as you inspect your cartons upon delivery, the shipping service will cover the cost of damaged material and we’ll get replacement materials re-shipped right away. Keep in mind, you’ll be doing a lot of cutting and you’ll need short planks or end pieces every so often so if you get a plank with a bad spot, there is a good chance you can still use it at some point, minimizing waste.
5. If you’re on Facebook, click this link and you’ll see some installed photos of napa.
Is the engineered as scratch resistant as the solid fossilized. Also in some replies you state 1/2 inch and in others 1/4 inch room for expansion?. Lastly I would prefer solid because in one post you mentioned engineered not as hard , I have to crazy active dogs. I realize no wood is 100 percent scratch proof but from all the reviews I have read some have no scratch issues and others have issue with excessive scratch problems so I am not sure which would be better then the other when it comes to pets. How long has the engineered been out for?i have concrete slap. I plan to use the 531 sealer Cali suggests along with the Calicomplete underlayment for extra protection. I have one heavy Armoire in bedroom, solid oak pretty heavy, Can I glue on top of calico poets or have to float. Would T&G be better or click. Thanks
Hi L.S.,
Yes, the solid and engineered flooring have the same finish and therefore the same scratch resistance. As far as hardness, since the engineered flooring is made from a layer of Fossilized bamboo along with other cross-layered woods, the overall hardness of the plank is less, but the top layer of bamboo is just as hard as the solid flooring. If your concern is dog nails, the engineered will hold up just as well as the solid, if you were to drop a bowling ball on it, the engineered would dent before the solid. The best advice I can give you is to get some free samples from us and conduct your own scratch and dent tests, the ‘proof is in the pudding’ as they say. We launched our engineered flooring in March of 2016. You can glue down the flooring if you seal the slab with 531+ but you must float it if you plan to use CaliComplete. If you have heavy furniture that will inhibit natural floor movement, I’d recommended that you glue down the flooring and skip the CaliComplete. We do not offer engineered flooring in click-lock milling. Anything else?
Question can I install a click and lock Bamboo floor under a 120 gallon fish tank as a floating floor?
Hi Jason,
Heavy things on floated floors is not recommended. The weight of the tank will pin the floor in that spot so any expansion or contraction will occur from that point outward and will be visible at the opposite end of the floor. I have a heavy bookcase along one wall and in the winter my expansion gaps along the opposite wall appear below my baseboards. Come spring they expand back into place, but I totally understand why heavy things and floated floors don’t mix.
That is BS!!!!! No furniture then? Think of what your saying. No China cabinets, dining tables couches etc? Point loading can also be spread out by putting the tank on a larger bearing area ie cabinet legs on a 1×4 frame… What your saying is that floating floors should only be use where there are no dead loads
Hi Tom,
You can do whatever you want to do, just know that any expansion or contraction will occur at the opposite end of the floor since the tank will essentially pin down the floor. If you give yourself plenty of expansion space, and plan for this, you could be just fine and avoid any chance of buckling if humidity were to rise. As long as you have at least a 1/2″ expansion gap, the worst thing that could happen would be shrinkage during very dry months and you could always just add a quarter round should the floor pull out from under the baseboard. This is what I’ve been meaning to do but by the time I get around to adding the quarter round the humidity rises and the gap is gone again. I’m actually editing a video right now that does a pretty good job of explaining floated floor movement I’ll post the link here when it’s done. As a last resort, you always glue down or nail down the flooring and avoid all the expansion/contraction concerns. Only downside it is a bit more work to install and it’s harder to pull up should you ever want to change the flooring in the future.
We installed Cali Bamboo Vintage Moonlight after a few months acclimation in our house in Northern Vermont on Lake Champlain. We were assured it could be installed floating over in-floor heating in a concrete slab. Over the summer we experienced buckling and now, in the winter, we have cupping and separating. Our contractor has already adjusted the boards for expansion on all walls. Once the summer humidity ceased, the floors settled down until the heat came on in November, when the cupping and separating started. We used the recommended under padding over the slab. What can we do to settle these floors down? We love the look and feel of them but not the issues with temperature swings.
Also, what is the best way to handle scratches made by our movers?
Thank you ~
Hi Annie,
Sorry to hear the floors have been a bit temperamental, rest assured our support team has lots of great suggestions for you. I’ve forwarded this message to them and somone should be contacting you shortly. You can always call us or email [email protected] to get instant help as well.
Best,
Hi, we are very interested in Bamboo solid floors for our small one bedroom NYC apartment. Kitchen is the part of living room. Can’t decide what is better Click or T&G. Can you help please. Thanks
Hi Tanya,
What is your subfloor? Are you planning on installing yourself? If so, then you’ll probably want to float it. We recommend the click-lock milling for floating as it requires no glue and furniture can be moved back onto the floor immediately following installation. I’m assuming you’ll be moving all your furniture from room to room as you install? Otherwise, if you are having a professional install it, they may have a preferred installation method such as nail down. Nail down is a popular method back East, it too supports furniture immediately after installation. Either way you go you’ll want to make sure you acclimate the flooring for a minimum of 5 days prior to installation. Learn how to acclimate here.
Hi – we recently installed antique java fossilized # 7004001100 on our second floor. We haven’t installed the stair nose piece yet because the piece has an overlapping lip at the top that we’re afraid will create a trip hazard at the top of the stairs. Our installer says this is our only option but I see that you make a Java .88 inch stair nose that appears to click in place. Will that work with my floor or is the poece with the lip the only option? Seems dangerous. Thanks.
Hi Mike,
I have the overlaps installed in my home and they’ve never been an issue. I actually like them on the stairs because it keeps my dogs from sliding down the stairs. We do now offer a flush 9/16″ stair nosing for click flooring and it would make sense to use that at the top of the stairs, but if you have pets, the overlap is the way to go.
We just ordered the Cali Bamboo Fossilized 3.75 in Boardwalk flooring from Lowe’s for installation in our family room, living room, kitchen, and dining room. We live in the Chicago area. We are going with nail down installation. From another website I read this statement: “When you nail or glue down tongue and groove bamboo flooring there is no limit to the length of a “run” of flooring.” I want to see if this statement is true with Cali Bamboo as well. I’m not a fan of transition pieces and would love to avoid them if possible, but don’t want my floors to buckle either!
Same applies to Cali Bamboo, just make sure you acclimate the flooring for 10 days prior to installation and you can skip the transitions.
Hi! We bought Cali Bamboo the nail down solid strand for our downstairs. Because we bought a house built 20 years ago we sealed all of the floors after ripping out the carpet and pressed flooring they had installed. My husband planned on nailing everything in but we have found that along several N-S running walls that the nail gun will not work. So he wants to glue those sections down. However he has read several articles saying that the glue will not properly adhere to the sealed plywood. Is this true? Is there another way for us to go about this? We are literally living in a construction zone, in a complicated pregnancy with only 3 weeks left to go. I just want the floors to be done.
Hi Tiffany,
An interesting situation indeed. What I would do is glue it down with a quality flooring adhesive and I’d use T&G glue on the planks. Should the flooring not properly adhere to the plywood, it would then become a floated floor.
We are doing a remodel in our home. Just had a contractor come and do a measurement for the material and labor costs. He said that Cali Bamboo flooring would not be recommended in my home because of the low humidity; we live in Running Springs California. He also said it didn’t matter how long we acclimate, the product will most likely buckle in 6-9 months. Is this true? I truly believe you get what you pay for and don’t want to spend thousands and thousands for it to be ruined and have to do something else down the road.
Hi Toni,
Yes, your contractor’s concerns are real, but apply to all solid flooring not just bamboo. In extremely dry or humid climates, it can do unexpected things or it can do nothing at all, we’ve seen plenty of both happen and proper acclimation can minimize it. If you find yourself in one of these areas, I would look at our Engineered bamboo flooring, it’s specifically designed for these situations. You’ll lose some of the Janka hardness that the solid flooring is known for but you’ll gain peace of mind knowing the floor is less likely to expand or contract season to season.
Best,
Hello,
We are in the process of doing a “refresh” of our newly purchased home. We are in the process of pulling up the carpeting and installing all hardwoods throughout the house. Yay! : )
The entire master bathroom was carpeted (with the exception of the water closet- it’s tiled). We are doing a cosmetic fix in that master bathroom, as a full gut remodel is just not in the cards for us now.
The carpet has been pulled up and we knew (since the house was built in 2008), that we would only find plywood underneath the carpet. We are trying to find a viable and economical solution. We know that in about 5 year’s time we will hopefully be gearing up for that bathroom gut out and remodel. In the meantime, we are trying to figure out the best floor solution. We are thinking about vinyl or bamboo. Bamboo is the obvious eco friendly choice vs the vinyl. What flooring would you recommend? We’ve got both a separate bathtub and a separate shower. I really am afraid of mold. I did find mold in a base board due to a toilet overflow from the previous owner. We removed it, treated the area and replaced it with a new baseboard. But that area is where the toilet is- when we pulled up the carpet in the rest of the bathroom, no mold! But I know we will obviously put a barrier down, etc.
I want to do this the right and bright way! Help! Any thoughts / suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
Hi Kelly,
If you’re considering our Antique Java, Java or Natural Bamboo colors we offer them in vinyl as well. What you could do is floor the majority of your home with actual bamboo and in the areas you plan to remodel just lay the vinyl version temporarily until construction is complete. Once all the dust settles, you can go bamboo throughout.
I am renovating my home adding on a big kitchen, wondering how cali fossilized t and g reacts to spills
Hi Gary,
Great questions. While you can use anything you’d like in a kitchen, like bathrooms, there is greater risk of spills, etc. Here’s an ordered list of our flooring products and their moisture resistance:
1. Cali Vinyl (100% waterproof)
2. GeoWood Flooring (moisture resistant)
3. Cork Flooring (moisture resistant)
4. Hybrid Engineered Bamboo (moisture tolerant)
5. Solid Bamboo & Eucalyptus (same as other hardwoods)
Hello. I am doing a bathroom remodel and was going to install Cali “Mocha Fossilized” on one wall the the ceiling. It will not be installed on the floor. Will the moisture in a bathroom (steam from a shower) adversely affect the bamboo? The room will be adequately ventilated.
Additionally, would it be better to glue and nail or to place a barrier (tar paper) and nail?
Thanks for your replay.
Regards,
Paul
Occasional steam shouldn’t affect the flooring, I’m more concerned about the weight and keeping it from coming down, the Fossilized flooring is quite heavy. Unfortunately, we don’t have the Mocha color in vinyl, because vinyl flooring would be a much better product to use, it’s lightweight and could just be glued up. If you’re dead set on Mocha, you’ll want to screw some 1/2″ plywood to the studs and use an 18 gauge pneumatic nailer, to nail the Wide T&G flooring to the ply (just like you would nail to floor). It wouldn’t hurt to use some construction adhesive in addition to be extra safe.
I have Cali bamboo flooring in my kitchen and one bedroom. Very nice, tough, beautiful floors. Had a large leak in bottled water today – about a gallon leaked onto floor before we caught it. Only was leaking for about half an hour but got under flooring and making some squishy sounds. Shop-vacuumed the seams after putting some weights on floor to force up the water. We had moisture barrier put in at installation time and have had no problems, but this leak is from above. Now have fan directed onto main squishy area – anything else I should do?
Hi Dean,
A dehumidifier would help too. Renting a professional one will certainly dry things up quickly. I had a small leak in my washer/dryer area that got into the floor and I rented a Dri-Eaz dehumidifier and it had my condo feeling like the Sahara desert in just a few hours, dry as a bone.
I live in Minnesota and I’m considering purchasing the Fossilized bamboo flooring for use throughout my house except for Laundry room and Full bath. I have a few questions. First, I have no children, no fish tanks, only cats. Is it safe/practical to use this flooring in my small 5 x 6 half-bath connected to my kitchen? While I realize I run the risk of water leaks damaging the flooring, other than a potential leak, any concerns? Second, I’ve removed the carpeting/padding/nail strips from my stairs. Is it possible to just use the flooring pieces plus Cali Bamboo Vinyl Stair nosing on the stairs? I don’t think I can afford to replace my existing stairs with the solid treads and risers. What are my best options for the stairs? I’m planning to do the work myself with a help from a friend.
You are correct Paula, flooring your bathroom should be fine, but an overflowed toilet could lead to water damaged flooring. Yes again, the stair nosing pieces are designed to be used with the floor boards. You are essentially making stairs from a plank or two of flooring and the stair nosing piece. For stairs, we recommend gluing everything with a high-quality Urethane based glue, such as Titebond Fast Set Construction Adhesive. Here’s a video one of our customers sent us showing how they did the overlap stair nosings.
i have a question on the Cali bamboo flooring I have pursed from lowes , I live in Florida and was told that if i shut off my A/C in the cooler months that it would void my warranty its his true ? i have not picked up the flooring yet and would like to know if this is true before I pick it up or try to find another product
I under stand that the controlled environment deeds to stay stable
Any hardwood flooring should be kept at a relatively consistent temperature and relative humidity level to avoid expansion and contraction which is wood’s natural reaction. We realize it’s impossible to keep full control over this, every region has its own seasonal patterns. If you acclimate the product for the full 10 days during a moderate time of the year, and allow 1/2″ expansion space around all fixed objects, and break up long flooring runs with T-Moldings, you should be able to keep expansion and contraction to a minimum. Our Warranty covers product failure that is not related to improper or negligent installation. When in doubt, follow our installation recommendations exactly, and document your installation process.
We are thinking of installing the Fossilized Cognac Bamboo in our stairs and upstairs areas. We are in the Bay Area, where in the summer, it is approximately 55% humidity within our home (not sure what it is in summer, as we recently purchased our hygrometer). I have been told that 40-60% is the optimal range for this type of flooring. If we stay within this range, do you see any potential issues with cupping? Upstairs will be nailed down and the stairs glued down (we aren’t as concerned with the stairs as we are the upstairs areas). Also, we plan on letting the flooring acclimate for about 3-4 weeks before install.
One additional, general question about cupping: If flooring is going to cup, and begins to show signs of cupping, does the cupping generally continue with time, or does it reach some sort of equilibrium at some point?
Hi Kevin,
Everything you plan to do sounds good. Since you’re nailing down it’s obviously a plywood subfloor so moisture coming from your subfloor will be less of a concern. Make sure not to wet mop the floor, only lightly spritz with Bona Professional and mop with a damp mop or microfiber mop.
Hi I am really wanting to get your Eucalyptus flooring, it is so BEAUTIFUL!!! My question is which flooring would work best for us the nail down, the glue down or the floating floor? I have an osb 3/4 inch subfloor with a full basement underneath. We live in Montana which is mostly a dryer environment but we leave in the winter months and turn down the heat to about 45 degrees. I am doing the work myself and was leaning towards the floating floor, but would the nail down or the glue down be better? If gluing or nailing down is there less chance of contraction and expansion? no matter what I use I am going to acclimate for 2 weeks. Any help would be greatly appreciated asap! Thank you, Rik
Floating is actually easier, so you’ll want to get the one with click-lock milling. Acclimate the flooring for 10 days prior to installation and when you’re installing allow 1/2″ around all fixed objects for expansion and you’ll be good to go! Are you thinking Natural or Mocha? Do you have any pets? Darker floors pair with dark-haired pets and light colors hide light-haired pet hair a little better. I have Antique Java and a light-haired Chihuahua that sheds and I have to dust mop twice a week because the light hair shows on the dark floor.
I had a bamboo floor installed on a concrete slap t & g with 3 days for it to be acclaimed, my problem is in certain areas the floor creates what can I do about this?
Did you float the floor? If so did you use an underlayment? Creaking floors are often caused by uneven subfloors and can usually be minimized by using a 1mm-3mm underlayment. If you did this and it still creaks, I can tell you it will diminish over time, my subfloors are very unlevel and the creaking was very noticeable at first but over a few months it faded away and a year later they are almost silent.
Can I just open both ends of boxes and plastic to acclimate or must they be cross stacked?
For engineered, cork and vinyl flooring, opening the box ends is all that is required. For solid bamboo and eucalyptus, you must remove the flooring from the cartons and sticker-stack as close to the installation site as possible.
We purchased a sizeable amount of Cali Bamboo (Java). We live in Indianapolis, IN where the humidity levels are generally high throughout the summer and become more moderate in the winter months. We are planning to install across the entire first floor of our home (approx. 1,300 feet). How often do these transition strips need to be used (i.e. between every room)? And also, because of the high humidity, do we need to acclimate longer than the suggested 5 days? Thanks much!
Hi Rob,
5 days acclimation would be the minimum for your area, 10 days would be what I would do. Yes, if possible you should disconnect rooms from hallways, etc by using T-Moldings at the doorways. If your flooring run is longer than 30 feet you should do one of the following, add extra expansion space at the walls or use T-Moldings to break the flooring run.
I’m have a floor project this month to get the Cali Bamboo floor installed on all my three bedrooms, all three rooms are same side of the house and adjacent to each other. Can I just stack the floors in the biggest room for acclimation? Or I have to separate them and do the acclimation in each individual room?
Hi Fred,
Ideally 3 stacks for 3 rooms. We know it’s inconvenient, if that’s not possible, do what you can and you’ll probably be fine. Take pictures and send them to [email protected]!
Have fun!
Hi Walter,
I am thinking of replacing my tile flooring by Vintage Moonlight, Calibamboo. I live in Palmdale, California and here the humidity levels typically range from 15% (very dry) to 81% over the course of a year. How long do I need to acclimatize the product? Can the bamboo planks be laid out on the existing tile flooring to acclimatize or should they be placed on the concrete after removing the tiles? I am also concerned about how the bamboo flooring will hold upto to such a dry climate.after installation.
Hi Shaweta,
Your concerns are real and I’m glad you are doing your research. Palmdale is considered a humidity extreme (lack of). Any solid hardwood is going to want to shrink in that environment. For Moonlight, I would acclimate at least 2 weeks longer if possible. Refer to our acclimation video for detailed steps, once acclimated the flooring should be ready to install. If you’re open to it, I’d also suggest considering our Catalina Engineered Bamboo or Gray Ash Vinyl Flooring, they will handle the dryness a bit better than our solid products.
You can acclimate with the tile in place, but before installation be sure and seal the slab with Titebond 531+ or use our CaliComplete underlayment as a moisture barrier between the concrete subfloor and wood flooring.
Hello,
Can the solid Cali Bamboo be refinished ?
Sure can, the engineered too.
We are installing cali bamboo flooring in our kitchen hallway and bath. I an concerned about the backing on my kitchen throw rugs, what kind of backing do I need and what do I use for the mat under the rugs.
Hi Cindy,
Most rugs are fine, especially if they are fabric-backed. We have heard of mats with certain rubber backings to have a negative reaction with the finish of the flooring, so we tell people to not use rubber-backed rugs. If you do have rubber backed rugs, that you are dead set on using, I would test them on a plank of uninstalled flooring for a few weeks, and then if nothing happens, try the rug in an inconspicuous area (closet) for another few weeks, checking often before using them in an area such as a kitchen or bath.
We’ve been redoing our house for the last 1.5 years and the T&G flooring has been sitting in boxes in the middle of the living room the entire time (we live in a construction zone). Do we need to sticker stack/acclimate the wood for more than 5 days since the flooring has been in the house the entire time? Also, what is the moisture absorption rate of bamboo?
I love it Megan,
I’m in the midst of a 5 year flooring project too. Is the flooring still boxed and in the plastic wrapping? If so I wouldn’t assume much acclimation has taken place and play it on the safe side and sticker stack the planks for 5-10 days.
I just purchased strand woven bamboo, how long should I allow it to acclimate? I have a plywood subfloor. I’m terribly afraid of shrinkage after install.
Hi Megan,
What area are you in? The technical answer is you have to acclimate until the flooring’s moisture content and your home’s relative humidity have reached an equilibrium. You’ll know this has occurred by moisture testing the subfloor and the flooring over time. To make it easier on homeowners we just say this usually occurs around 5-10 days. If you live in an extremely dry or humid area, 14 days is the bare minimum and the longer you can acclimate the better.
So the above applies to solid bamboo and eucalyptus. If you have engineered or cork or vinyl then you only need to open the box ends for a day or two.
Can you float it over VCT that’s in good condition? I don’t want to have to remove the adhesive from the concrete slab under the VCT–I’m assuming I would have to get the floor completely smooth by removing that glue, yes? Also, what type of Cali do you recommend if I want to have the same flooring in a kitchen/living room/bedroom combo?
Ideally, you should remove all prior flooring and seal the concrete slab with 531+ or use CaliComplete™ with the seal tape. You should also test your slab for moisture and you can’t do that properly with the VCT on there. Since you’re floating over concrete and you want to have it in your kitchen, I would lean towards the engineered bamboo floors, they have more tolerance to moisture fluctuations.
We had Java solid engineered wood glued down with ECO 495 glue several months ago and contractor destroyed it with a faulty shower installation that flooded water. We are back to square one with a reliable contractor & insurer this time. There is a question of whether we want to glue it down this time or use an underlay in our variant humid weather in San Antonio of 30 – 60 percent. Can it be installed over concrete with an underlay and what is the optimal underlayment(s) to use and will it sound and feel different walking on it? With the glue, we enjoyed how it felt and sounded rock solid. I am confused as well as to how many days the wood should be acclimated in a criss cross fashion in our house–5 days or several weeks? Is that a function of what the weather is like at the moment it is laid down or a consideration of what humidity tends to be year round? I love this wood but we are cautious now as the first installer “just got by” acclimating it and providing the proper expansion gaps. This time, we expect installers to follow the specs to a “t.” Thank you very much.
Hi Roberta,
First thing yes, you can float the flooring over concrete and utilize an underlayment. If you go this direction, you’ll want to use our CaliComlete™ Underlayment or seal the concrete with Titebond 531+ first. Keep in mind, a floated floor does “feel” different and if you’re used to the solid feel of your other floors then you probably won’t like the feel of a floated floor. Lastly, since you are in an area with humidity fluctuations, you’ll want to acclimate solid hardwood flooring for 10-14 days, if you’ve chosen engineered flooring, then you only need to open the ends of the boxes and let sit for 2 days.
Bought Cali bamboo flooring from Lowes. We live in the Midwest and the wood has been acclimating for 6 weeks and is still not ready to be installed. We keep the house at a constant temp and the installer said that it may take another 2 weeks. IS this common in Midwest to take this long??????
That is on the long side Scott. But your installer knows best, there is absolutely no way to overacclimate hardwood flooring, and the extra time you put in now is going to pay off when seasons change. Did they sticker stack the planks in your living space? It is kind of a big nuisance sitting in the middle of the room but it’s the right way to do it.
Best,
Walker
We bought a house in Florida 4.5 miles from the beach. We will replace the tile and float Cali Natural solid over concrete. We will follow the PACE installation steps including two weeks of acclimation. The area is ~1000 sq ft including kitchen and we have two large dogs. I’ve been reading the Q&A and various other websites and have a few questions. Relative humidity low is 50% with highs at 90+%. Should I buy a gauge to measure relative humidity? We are only at the house 1/2 the year, but leave the AC set at 78 when we leave. Is floating okay? The refrigerator is ~325 lbs., are we good with the weight? Our rooms are larger than 10′ so transitions are a must, right? Also, should we glue the wide click pieces together not just under the refrigerator, but the entire floor? I’m confused by the the research of when to glue the wide click. We really want to float because of comfort and the main reason for removing the tile. My husband will install and is experienced with red oak, but not bamboo. We need some reassurances this is the product for us. Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
It sounds like you guys are doing the research and have identified the most common issues when installing in an extremely humid climate such as Florida. You can absolutely float the floor, but you’ll want to make sure you acclimate for 2 or more weeks prior to installation. Also, you are correct, it is recommended to break long runs between rooms with t-moldings when possible. That’s great that you maintain a controlled environment in the home when you are away for extended periods, that will help with product stability. Lastly, when you do install allow for expansion and contraction around all fixed objects such as walls and cabinets. It sounds like you have already read thru our PACE pre-installation guidelines but here’s the link again just in case. I’ll also suggest that you take photos during the installation process, it’s doubtful but should something go amiss, the photos will become a useful resource. We also just love seeing our customers’ projects come together so feel free to send us any and all photographs before, during and after the project! Best of luck, and don’t hesitate to ask should you need any further assistance.
Walker
Hi, our kitchen tile and grout are cracking and disintegrating (probably due to poor installation), so we’re looking to replace with Cali Bamboo. Is solid or hybrid the safer bet for a kitchen environment more prone to drops, spills, and the occasional goop? Also, would you recommend T&G or click? Float or glued? This is on a second floor (over a basement), so there is already a backer board in place. Should we keep it, replace it, or is it not needed? Thx!
Hi Seth,
Great questions. While you can use anything you’d like in a kitchen, like bathrooms, there is greater risk of spills, etc. Here’s an ordered list of our flooring products and their moisture resistance:
1. Cali Vinyl (100% Waterproof)
2. Cork Flooring (moisture resistant)
3. Hybrid Engineered Bamboo (moisture tolerant)
4. Solid Bamboo & Eucalyptus (same as other hardwoods)
Can I check my concrete slab moisture content with a general moisture meter
While it’s better than no test, it’s not ideal. It also depends on the moisture meter, some measure concrete very well. A calcium chloride test, however, will provide you with substantially better and consistent results.
We’re planning to install a floating Calibamboo floor (Mocha Fossilized Wide Click) over a concrete slab. The slab is very dry and a few inches over grade. Climate is moderate Northern California, i.e. not humid.
I know the Titebond 531 is recommended – but would it be acceptable to use a vinyl sheeting barrier instead? We have that from the previous laminate installation, so could just reuse it. I’d assume it’s an even better moisture barrier than the Titebond.
Hi Klaus,
Since the eucalyptus is solid wood flooring, you can’t leave anything up to chance. In fact, I’d seal with the 531+ and also use the vinyl sheeting as added protection since you already have it.
Walker
Just bought home with hardwood Arcadia dark bamboo from lumber liquidators…it has a light film of white,wax??how could I attempt to clean this off then use Nona cleaner?
Hi Patt,
I would contact LL and ask them. We only recommend Bona Professional Hardwood Floor Cleaner for our bamboo floors.
Hi,
Im having the Natural
Fossilized Bamboo Flooring
Installed by a professional. Our home is in Oceanside ca. About how long should the flooring be acclimatized before install?
Thanks
Hi Keith,
Solid bamboo or engineered? Concrete subfloor or ply? If solid and concrete and you’re real close to the ocean I’d acclimate 14 days, if you’re more inland, 7-10 days should be good. If your subfloor is plywood, 5-7 and if you have engineered only 1-2 days.
I have 2 border collies that live inside with me. I am looking at bamboo as an option and what I am really looking for is something that will not scratch . Any as to which way I should be leaning?
Hi Ernie,
While our floors are extremely scratch resistant (most of our customers are pet owners) no floor is scratch proof. Also lighter colored floors will hide pet hair and any scratches that do happen to occur better than dark floors. Watch what some of our pet owners have to say.
Hi,
I bought Cali Bamboo Hardwood Flooring Java Fossilized (T&G) from Lowe’s, and have acclimated it. I am scheduled to have the floor installed in a week. The flooring is set to cover the living room, bedroom and kitchen. I plan on getting a wall-to-wall wardrobe in the bedroom and an entertainment center in the living room. Obviously I am going to put a sofa set as well, in the living room. I read the recommendations about not putting anything heavy on the floor. Now I’m concerned. Please advise.
Hi Bhuvana,
The weight restrictions only apply to floated floors so if you’re nailing down or glueing down, you’re all good. And if you are planning on floating, you may still be ok. When you place extremely heavy objects (anything above 500lbs.) on a floated floor, it inhibits the floors ability to move (expand and contract) freely. The real offenders here are pianos, large fish tanks and pool tables. If your heavy object is against a wall, like a dresser, just keep in mind that the floor may not move very well right there so just give yourself a little extra expansion space around all fixed objects like the other walls in the room, and you should be fine. Let me know if you have any further concerns.
Walter, I am putting down a cali bamboo floor on a concrete slab under a pool table.
I was planning on using pergo gold underlayment sold to me by Lowes and glueing the T & G joints. Will that be a problem for expansion and contraction? Should I skip the Underlayment and just glue down to slab? If so, how does a glue down expand and contract
since it is fixed in Place ?
Hey Steven,
Since you’re putting a pool table on the floor, this will inhibit expansion/contraction so I wouldn’t float it which means you should glue down and not use pergo gold. You should definitely seal the slab prior to install with a roll on moisture barrier such as Titebond 531+, or make sure your installer uses and adhesive that has a perm rating for the moisture content of your slab (yes, you should moisture test your slab). Since glued down floors are fixed to the subfloor, you’ll have less expansion and contraction but still plan on giving 1/2″ expansion space around fixed objects and don’t forget to acclimate (I’d acclimate 10 days if possible).
Best,
Walker
We installed java fossilized click from Lowes about three months ago. I am noticing some parts of the flooring in the living room is rising. What can be done?
When installing them, we decided to glue them down instead of click or nail down.
Thank you.
A rising floor indicates that moisture is getting at the floor. Moisture can reach a floor from the top or from the bottom. Moisture from the top is usually caused by a large water spill or by wet mopping. When you clean the floor make sure you do not wet mop, rather lightly spritz the floor with Bona Professional cleaner and immediately wipe dry with a microfiber or soft cloth. Moisture getting to the floor from the bottom can be tougher to identify. Do you happen to know if your installer sealed the slab with a moisture barrier prior to installation? They may have used an adhesive with a built-in moisture barrier, so try to get more information about the adhesive used with your floors. If no moisture blocking precautions were taken, your installer did not follow our preinstallation steps correctly. Lastly, depending on where you live, homes can experience natural fluctuations in relative humidity and hardwood floors will expand and contract with humidity. Once again, if your installer followed our pre-installation steps correctly they would have left 1/4″ expansion spaces around all fixed objects such as walls and door jambs, if they did not leave expansion space the floor has no direction to go but up. Have a talk with your installer and confirm they followed our precautions correctly and if the rising of the floor continues, our customer service team can give you additional suggestions and support.
does bamboo cali have “hand scraped” bamboo saw distressed mocha bamboo but no hand scraped…….also would consider eucalyptus ….is eualyptus available in hand scraped? did not see that the mocha distressed was not available as tongue and groove to be nailed …….is it available t & g to be nailed???
never know what might end up on the floor {piano etc.,} so prefer the t & g nailed variety
Have hickory hand scraped wide {nailed down} in another room and like the look/feel of the handscraped>
Hi Ann Marie,
Hand scraped has become a very loose term to describe just about any kind of surface distressing, but I think you are looking for that wavy surface? Our Antique Java, Distressed Natural, Distressed Mocha, Napa, Catalina and Malibu colors have a wavy surface, but only Antique Java, Napa, Catalina and Malibu come in a T&G milling suitable for nail down installation. Oh and we do not have any hand scraped eucalyptus, but that’s a great idea I’ll have our development team look into.
After reading all the comments I am now petrified to have the bamboo installed, it was just delivered to my home in Salem Oregon. I have a daylight basement house but it is just going upstairs. Do we just take the ends of the boxes off, and how long do the boxes sit?? we have about 1300 sq ft to do, it will be done by a professional installer. I am so scared it will not be a good outcome.
Hi Thelma,
You’re correct in being concerned prior to installation and I love that you’re not just “letting the installer handle it”. First off I’ll need to know which flooring product you have purchased. The most important step before you install is acclimating the flooring to it’s new environment, it varies a little bit depending on whether you have a solid product or hybrid (engineered) product. Here’s a good illustration that shows proper acclimation for both.
We are seasonal residents in the WV mountains, high elevation. Since our home is vacant during the very cold winters, what temperature is ideal for your bamboo or eucalyptus flooring? We keep our thermostat at 50 degrees with propane heating, to minimize fuel costs.
I’m very impressed that this is on your radar Jon. Humidity fluctuations are actually more concerning than temperature and we recommend keeping relative humidity within a 20% range if possible.
We just installed CaliBamboo eucalyptus floating floors in our home. Can I steam clean them with only water? Is there a recommended cleaning method other than only vacuuming? Thanks in advice.
Hi Jennifer,
A steamer will destroy hardwood flooring. Aside from regular sweeping or the use of a vaccum designed for hardwood floors, the easiest way to clean Eucalyptus or Bamboo fooring is a light misting of Bona® Pro hardwood floor cleaner and a microfiber cloth or one of those dry microfiber mops. Only use enough cleaner that can be wiped dry quickly, and never wet mop a hardwood floor.
I have put Cali bamboo decking on a deck, the skirt and side of staircase. I have noticed that some of the boards are bowing. It has been a very hot spring/summer so far. Is bowing due to the hot weather or the installation process? What can be done? Do I need to have the company replace the boards or put better/additional backing?
Hi Terry,
I’ve forwarded this concern to our customer service department, they will be contacting you shortly to provide you with assistance.
Walker
We just had Cali Bamboo installed. It is a floating floor. We have a 75 gallon fish tank. Are there any special preparations needed before putting the tank and stand on the floor?
Hi Carla,
A 75 gallon tank with gravel is about 690 lbs. We don’t recommend putting heavy objects like this on floated floors because it inhibits the floors ability to naturally expand and contract. If a homeowner has something like this or a piano or pool table we always recommend glueing down or nail down installation. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but putting that tank on the floor could be a gamble. In my opinion having any large amount of water hovering over hardwood flooring is a gamble in and of itself so you’ll have to bets on the table.
I would like to have bamboo floors installed thought (except bathrooms) our 1 story condo. The condo is at ground level on a concrete slab. We are located in central Pennsylvania. We spend the winters in Florida and keep the heat pump at around 55 degrees. In the summer we run the central air. We have spoken to two different installers… one wants to glue the bamboo and the other wants to float it (click lock). Which installation would be best? Also, some of the runs are long(26+ feet) the one that wants to float it wants transition strips in a hallway and into the kitchen ☹. Home Depot told me they won’t even install bamboo or any hardwood over concrete!? Very confused!
Bamboo is beautiful and very durable but it does require a bit more preparation than a typical hardwood. If you choose a solid bamboo floor, floating is an installation option that allows the floor to expand and contract with seasonal temperature and humidity changes. If your installer uses transitions and maintains proper expansion spaces around all fixed objects you’ll be golden. Floating floors have a bit of “give” to them and you can use underlayments to soften the floor making it more comfortable to stand and walk on. Floated floors can also be walked on immediately and you can move furniture back on the floor right away, but you can’t have extremely heavy things on a floated floor like a piano or pool table. Gluing down is very popular here in the West and fixes the floor to the slab prohibiting any expansion and contraction. You don’t need to use transition pieces, but you’ll have to wait 24 hours before you can walk on or move furniture back onto the floor. Glued down floors feel very “solid” and have no “give” and you can’t use underlayment so it’s basically like walking on concrete. Either way you go, you’ll want to acclimate the flooring before installation. Since you leave the home for extended periods and aren’t able to maintain optimal living conditions year round, I would go with one of our Hybrid Engineered floors and I would recommend gluing it down.
Can your bamboo flooring be installed in a bathroom?
Hi Karen,
While we don’t recommend it, people have done it. It’s not the humidity so much as something common like a toilet overflow can destroy the flooring.
Walker
Do solid wood treads for stairs have to be acclimated, and if so for how long?
Solid bamboo stair treads should absolutely be acclimated in the same manner as solid flooring. It’s actually even more important for treads since most homeowners don’t want expansion gaps against the wall for stairs. Great question George, and thanks for asking!
I m wanting to buy Cali Bamboo and planning to buy it local I did talk to a sales rep from Cali bamboo. I was looking at other flooring and you can see the difference in your flooring.. Cost is more but for the beautiful flooring I willing to go for it. I did read up in the concern about the high humidity in the Houston area that a floor place said they don’t carry Bamboo for that reason of our humidity. Which is why I m looking at the internet to see how to deal with it and for the cost I hate to spend that money and it would ruin! He said it’s subject to mold which I’m highly allergy to and I was wanting to do a way from carpet for allergy reason… It’s very large investment to then have to ruin … Lowes is carry so I hoping they know how to install it the right way to allow the adjustment for the high humidity…. Concern before I go to the great expense that it will be doing the whole house! Kathryn Allen
Hi Kathryn,
I’m happy you are raising these concerns, bamboo has an inaccurate reputation as not suited for humid regions. The short answer is Cali Bamboo is definitely an option for you in Houston where I hear it gets very humid as long as you do a little extra work up front before installation begins. If your budget allows and you can find a color that suits your décor, I would look closely at our Hybrid Engineered Bamboo line, it’s specifically designed to handle extremely humid and extremely dry environments best. If not, that’s ok, our solid Fossilized® flooring can still be installed, you just need to make sure you do the following we call it “P.A.C.E”:
1) Prepare the subfloor – make sure your subfloor is clean, flat and stable. If you’re installing over concrete, be sure to seal the slab with Titebond 531+
2) Acclimate – probably the most common mistake because nobody wants to take the time to do it right, watch this video and since you are in a very humid environment make sure the flooring is given at least 2 weeks to adjust to it’s new home. The Hybrid Engineered doesn’t require as much acclimation, it can adjust in just a few days and you only need to open the box ends and plastic wrapping.
3) Control the Environment – keep the home as close to normal living conditions as possible. Avoid closing up the house, turning off the AC and leaving for weeks at a time.
4) Expansion gaps – You installer will know more about these but in short, you need to give a 1/2″ allowance around fixed objects like walls, poles, pillars and fireplaces. Expansion space is like having a little insurance should your flooring expand during the rainy season for example. You can use baseboards and trim pieces to conceal these expansion spaces and if your installer is good you’ll never even know they are there.
If you are hiring a professional installer, they tend to not want to take the time to do these very important steps so it’s up to you to get on them and make sure they follow the instructions to a T. I would document their work with photographs, take a picture of the acclimation stack, sealing the concrete, and those little expansion gaps, this will ensure everyone is doing their part.
I hope this helps alleviate some of your apprehensions, it may sound like a lot, but it’s really not, and a good installer will have no problem taking the time to do it right.
Walker
Is there a quality difference between the Cali Bamboo flooring sold at Home Depot/Lowes and the flooring purchased directly from you?
Hi Michele,
The Cali Bamboo brand flooring sold at Lowe’s is exactly the same product we sell directly, however Lowe’s does not yet carry our Hybrid™ Bamboo Flooring line. Since your comment is here, on our Bamboo Flooring Pros and Cons article, I’m assuming you read the section above on all the corners those low-cost bamboo flooring manufacturers make? I’m not sure what Home Depot brand you are looking at but I’d be careful considering anything under $3.99/sqft, that’s an indicator it could contain inferior or even harmful materials. Absolutely never buy anything that’s $1.99/sqft, it could make you sick or you’ll just be ripping it back up in a few years.
How should I apply the Bona cleaner. I realize using a microfiber cloth is great, but exactly how do I clean? Swiffer?
Hands and knees? Are other cleaners recommended?
Hi Cheryl,
I do hands and knees, but my place is pretty small. Bona has a swiffer type mop that holds the bona cleaner and has a microfiber pad, and I’ve seen them in stores all over.
What is the average temperature the floor reaches when it is directly under the Florida sun?
Does it absorb the heat?
That’s an interesting question Ana. I suggest a real world test! I’d be happy to send you samples of flooring and a temperature gun if you’d be willing conduct the experiment and document the findings? We did a similar test on decking in this video, and the results seemed to follow logic. Darker colors got warmer and held onto heat longer than lighter colors. Email [email protected] if you are interested in helping us with this DIY project.
Did anything ever came out from the suggested “heat test”? I live in Miami myself and would love to cover the “Mediterranean Style” tiles around my pool and in my patio area by your product. Low maintenance and high-resistance to heat, humidity and salt (my house is directly “on the water”, in Miami). I have experience actual real hardwood deck of friends and they get really HOT in sunlight – One of them told me that “artificial” or composite decking will even get HOTTER that that. Any truth in that?
Our heat test found that brand and composition had less to do with heat absorption than color did. In short go with the lightest colored composite you can find. Since you’re in Miami and over the water where it rains one minute and is burning sunny the next I would look at all of our Gray Colored decking except Charcoal. If you email me your phone number and address, I can get samples in the mail to you, so you can put them out and see if they keep cool enough for you. A coworker and I were out in Miami this time last year and visited a few of our decks, check out these videos from our trip.
I just noticed you commented from a flooring post. I assumed you saw our decking heat test video. Were you interested in flooring or decking?
How to get get the haze removed form bamboo hard wood flooring
Henrietta,
A haze is often caused by residue left over from wax-based cleaners. What are you cleaning with? We recommend cleaning with a light mist of Bona Professional Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Bona Pro can be found at most home improvement stores, and it leaves very little residue. As long as your previous cleaner hasn’t damaged the finish, after a few cycles with Bona and a clean microfiber cloth (micro fiber actually makes a pretty big difference btw) the haze should go away. Keep in touch!