Bamboo flooring ranks among one of the most ecologically friendly types of floors available. It is a grass that grows at a
phenomenal rate and is cultivated in organized plantations. When harvested, only the stem is cut above the roots which
regenerate rapidly. Being a renewable resource, the use of bamboo is encouraged under the USGBC’s LEED program which awards
points for the use of some bamboo floors.
Bamboo floors are available in three forms – solid, engineered and strand–woven.
- Solid bamboo flooring can be either horizontal of vertical in design
- Engineered bamboo has only the surface layer of bamboo
- Strand woven which is a homogenous body of thin strands of bamboo formed under the action of heat and high pressure with
an adhesive.
Bamboo is milled to different configurations for ease of installation. A milled finish cuts down dramatically on
installation time and reduces the possibility of errors. The various types of milled finishes are:
- Click and lock: In this arrangement each plank is milled with interlocking joints. These joints can be snapped together
to hold adjacent planks in a snug fit.
- Tongue and groove: Here a tongue–shaped grooved profile in one plank fits into a tongue-shaped recessed groove in
the adjacent plank. It is sometimes known as a male and female fit. A tongue and groove arrangement holds planks together
firmly to the extent that this arrangement can be installed as a floating floor using adhesives between adjacent planks.
- Micro bevel is where each plank has a convex and concave rounded edge. When joined together, the convex edge of one plank
fits into the convex edge of the other, reducing chances of height differences in installation.
- Square edged is similar to the tongue and groove but where the projections and recesses have square rather than rounded
edges. These too fit one into the other for a snug seating.
When installing a bamboo floor care should be taken to ensure that the sub–floor is structurally sound, in the same
plane and clean and free of debris. The floor level difference should ideally not exceed 3/16' within a 10’ radius.
