Bamboo is denser and more resistant to water damage than most woods, and it does have some mild natural antimicrobial properties. … glue that provides an unlimited moisture limit, bamboo will change shape slightly depending on the humidity. There is absolutely no water damage of any sort. If in doubt, always glue down or nail down a floor. Requires Diligent Cleaning. You might have already read this in the article, but any bit of the glue that cures on the surface of the flooring is extremely difficult to remove. Since you should never immerse a bamboo floor in water, a weekly wet mopping isn’t an option. Try our Picture It visualizer to see our floors in your space and get 4 free flooring samples delivered. By using The Spruce, you accept our, The Best Residential Flooring Options for Aging Adults, Best Wood Flooring Options for Homes With Dogs. Once the humidity drops, the flooring should settle back down. It is very important to acclimate all wood flooring prior to installation. I’m rightfully very upset as the floors simply look dirty and this is not what I envisioned after spending thousands of dollars on getting this installed throughout the house. Flooring is a big investment and can result in expensive repairs if not done properly, so set 30 minutes aside to ensure you and your installer read the complete installation guide from your manufacturer. While bamboo is a relatively hard material, it can be subject to scratches, dents, and cracks under certain conditions. This article was amazing to read !i am about to purchase strand bamboo 3/8″ engineered fllors . However, there can be an environmental cost to the manufacturing of bamboo. Categories: Floor Protection, Flooring, Home Improvement, Interior Decorating. Types of Vinyl Flooring Materials: Tile, Sheet Vinyl, and Luxury Vinyl, Understanding Solid and Engineered Bamboo Flooring. Author: Clayton, NC. You might have to send them photos of the marks as well as information on what was used to install and clean the floors. I installed some distressed antique java bamboo which was installed on a wood subfloor with a vapor barrier and nailed in. Where a proper ground covering is in place and when venting is required by local building codes, the crawl space should have perimeter venting equal to a minimum of 1.5 square feet per 100 square feet of crawl space square footage, unless local building codes differ from this specification. Read the following for information on how to repair common problems that can occur with your engineered bamboo flooring. Inexpensive bamboo flooring is susceptible to scratches and dings. That sounds like a real bummer! Thanks Joseph! Since you … Although only consumers in California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia were initially covered, the settlement has been expanded to allow Lumber Liquidators to resolve all cl… We recommend that you reach out to the manufacturer of your flooring or the company that installed it to see if they have any suggestions. Good luck on your project! Required fields are marked *. Bamboo is also a harder material than most hardwoods, meaning that it usually wears well under heavy use. Atmospheric control is a must when dealing with causes of buckling as well as many other hardwood floor problems. Marketing Gimmick # 2: Bamboo is Durable. Have a recommendation for a common bamboo flooring installation error? Bamboo Flooring Acclimation. Bamboo flooring problems. The price of bamboo flooring is a significant advantage. The failure to apply adhesive to concrete slabs at a uniform and consistent rate, at the wrong thickness, or with the wrong trowel is one of the leading causes of hardwood floor cupping. I am getting some bubbles in the floor what is the best way to fix these bubbles? First thing we recommend is that you reach out to the manufacturer and see what they have to say. I have engineered bamboo floors that were recently damaged by appliances being installed. We had Cali Bamboo Hardwood floors glued down at the end of July. Could this be a manufacturer problem with the bamboo itself? Home › Floor Protection › 8 Common Installation Errors With Hardwood & Bamboo Flooring. Slipping subtly down through cracks and crevices, moist vapors can cause long-term damage to the planks themselves, while also nestling in the subfloor to cause the growth of microbial menaces. It doesn’t. The rising popularity of these materials is prompting some farmers to overgrow these plants to the detriment of the natural balance of flora and fauna in their environment. Bamboo Flooring Issues and Problems Vulnerable To Moisture. The bamboo flooring market has been flooded in recent years with poorly manufactured material. Also, if … Strand woven bamboo is an excellent floor choice because it lessens the probability of scratches. Question, we had a bamboo floor installed over a year ago and we haven’t seen any problems until now. Covered by the settlement is anyone in the United States and its territories who purchased Lumber Liquidators Morning Star strand bamboo flooring for personal, family or household use from January 1, 2012 to the present. I thought it was possibly from the boots of the installers, so I had them come back out. The bamboo can swell and sag in places. Hi Bradley! Many consumers hear the name and think that Cali Bamboo must look like bamboo. However, it still has vulnerabilities to moisture. Floors can be delivered to your … I have tried to repair these scratches, minwax putty, crayon wax etc. The harvesting process also allows the stalks to be cut without harming the root, so replanting is not necessary. Oh no! In some low-quality materials, the adhesive used will contain formaldehyde, which is a toxic substance that can off-gas small amounts of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) over time. Recently in the center of the room it has started buckling – teepeeing!!! What a bummer! The process also makes it look like traditional hardwood flooring. Sorry to hear that! Strand woven bamboo and eucalyptus are by far the densest and hardest floors on the market and require properly set 18 gauge cleats when nailed down. Check out a variety of styles at LL Flooring. The vapor retarder should also extend at least 6 inches up the stem wall and be attached and sealed to the stem wall. High-quality bamboo brands can be acclimated in as little as 72 hours, whereas lesser quality brands may require a couple of weeks to acclimate. Lumber Liquidators has tested the air quality in only a fraction of those homes -- … The drawback is that this method weakens the material, making it softer and more prone to damage from impact, abrasion, and liquid staining. If you have a hardwood floor that is glued or nailed down and has started to shrink or change shape within a few months after installation, improper acclimation is one possible culprit. What is causing this? My question is, was the installer right in using lacquer thinner (for god knows what, I was not present at time of installation) and is there anything that can be done to clean this up? The boards are starting to separate from each other. Avoid turpentine, mineral spirits, paint thinners, and … The bamboo … Oh no! Can this be fixed short of ripping up the entire floor? “The revised report concludes that irritation and breathing problems could occur in everyone exposed to formaldehyde in the tested laminate flooring, not just in sensitive groups. It has been glued down. Chemicals used to treat most bamboo flooring emit VOC’s (volatile Organic Compounds) into the air, causing pollution and presenting a health hazard for the inhabitants of a home with bamboo floors. Good luck and let us know if you are successful! Bamboo planks that are made of solid bamboo are more likely to hold up in this environment. I’m sorry to hear you are having issues with your flooring. Always wipe up spills immediately. Here’s a page where you can locate such an inspector: https://www.woodfloors.org/certified-professional-search.aspx. When the warm, moist outside air blows in the crawlspace through vents or other air leaks, the moisture in the humid air condenses on the cooler surfaces just like water condenses on a cold glass of ice water sitting on your counter. They look like surface marks. Even small particles of dirt and debris can act like grit to sand and score the flooring over time, resulting in a dull and broken appearance. Joseph Lewitin is a flooring expert who contributed home improvement content for The Spruce for four years. When we went to clean them the day they were finished installing them, we noticed a lot of marks all over the place. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet about bamboo flooring. The younger the bamboo is, the softer the floor is going to be. Bamboo is a distinctive and beautiful natural flooring choice with numerous attractive qualities that it can lend to a variety of environments. This usually causes a few planks in the middle to “teepee.” If that’s not what’s happening then you might be experiencing cupping or crowning, and the causes for that can differ, from low-quality bamboo flooring to exterior causes related to moisture. I have a crawl space that is vented ,with about 3ft of space ,joist have no insulation but have an old thermal paper . Hi ,and how are you? Engineered bamboo flooring is beautiful and durable, but it has some downsides, too. Installer’s Best Friend – Bostik Ultimate Adhesive Remover Wipes. That’s a tough one and we’re unfortunately not able to give you customized advice for your specific project. Using mineral spirits or other abrasive cleaners. Crawl space earth (or thin concrete slab) should be covered 100 percent by a vapor retarder of black polyethylene (minimum 6 mils) or any recommended puncture-resistant membrane, such as Class C, meeting ASTM D-1745. Follow local building codes. Although you need to avoid bargain basement products when shopping for strand woven bamboo flooring, you will discover that … Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. Crawl spaces are usually below grade, shady, and are naturally cooler than the outside air. There are several scratches in the kitchen and I have tried almost everything but nothing has worked. The crawl space should be a minimum height of 18 inches from the ground to the undersides of the joists. Is the floor too tight against the walls and has no room to move. We can’t be sure, but it sounds like the floors have expanded beyond the expansion gap left by your installer, have hit a wall, and now have nowhere else to go but up! Hi there, I have blonde (gold) bamboo flooring also in the house when I bought it. Engineered bamboo floors are more resistant to moisture than traditional bamboo flooring, and are far more resistant to cupping and scratches. Flooring: Cali Bamboo San Diego, California. Now I am finding a lot of grimy, dirt-like spots all over that I have unsuccessfully tried to clean (it looks like a layer of dirt but no amount of scrubbing seems to help). We have on section of flooring that is starting to buckle. It is lovely except it gouges and scratches with ease. The grass that bamboo flooring is manufactured from is all-natural, organic, and readily renewable, with a growth cycle that only takes three to five years to reach full maturity. Questions is will this be Adequate for insulation to stack and acclimate ?so long as input 6 mill or greater . It’s very important that all wood and bamboo floors acclimate prior to installation. The majority of bamboo also comes from Southeast Asia, which means that there can be a carbon cost associated with transporting it to locations around the globe. When you mop the floor, use a mop that is slightly damp. Looking for Bamboo flooring? Cracking. Many Bamboo flooring mills … The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Understanding the limitations of the material, and the reaction that it will have to elements like liquids, humidity, staining agents, and high-traffic use, will help you to make an informed purchasing decision about whether to use bamboo flooring planks for your flooring. A good way to find out what is causing the issue is to hire an NWFA certified inspector to see if they can shed some light on things. It could be caused by excessive humidity in the home, and if that is the case, you may want to invest in a dehumidifier to lower it back down to a reasonable level. We’re glad you enjoyed our article! The main con of Cali Bamboo, and all bamboo flooring for that matter is that this type of flooring is susceptible to water damage as well as humidity. Teepeeing can sometimes be caused by the floor swelling past the expansion gap around the perimeter. Once it has nowhere else to expand, it has no choice but to pop up. Sorry to hear you’re having problems, have you contacted the manufacturer of your floor, or your installer? This allows it to be offered in a variety of shades and hues, to match the specific look of the room where it is being used. You could also consult a local installer to come out and take a look. Bamboo grass readily absorbs water and is susceptible to damage from water and excessive humidity. Avoid turpentine, mineral spirits, paint thinners, and other abrasive cleaners on polyurethane finished hardwoods unless you like cloudy spots on your floor, as these abrasive cleaners can strip finish topcoats. First thing we would recommend you do is to call the manufacturer of your flooring to see if there are any known issues with that batch. Thank you for providing this article.People who owns a home who wants to use a bamboo flooring can definitely get inputs from here. The flooring was sold between 2011 and 2015, and was purchased by 614,000 customers in the United States. However, like any floor, engineered bamboo flooring can become damaged. When warm, humid weather rolls in, the problems are compounded. Sweeping and vacuuming regularly will help to get rid of small dirt particles that can cause scratches. Buckling happens when humidity increases – hardwood/bamboo floors expand and have no space to go because they’re pushing up against an outside wall or at a doorway. By … Your email address will not be published. High quality bamboo floor brands can be acclimated in as little as 72 hours; lower quality brands may require weeks. But Cali Bamboo vinyl plank flooring has a name problem! Problems with cheap bamboo… Any suggestions? Hardwood floors cup because of excess moisture drawn up through the bottom of the floor-board, while the top of the flooring remains relatively dry by comparison. Here's what to look for in order to locate quality bamboo flooring: Raw Material. Hope that helps! If the floor product is not dried properly, it will be prone to shrinking and warping. Continuously operated mechanical exhaust and perimeter wall insulation or conditioned air supply and insulation must be provided. It's a myth that bamboo flooring excessively expands and contracts in dry or humid climates. Protect wet areas with rugs that do not have rubber backs, as these materials can cause discoloration. Sorry to hear your installer is missing in action – I hope you get this resolved soon! This problem needs to be addressed at the source – crawl spaces and unconditioned spaces need to be sealed to protect hardwood floors from moisture, before acclimation. It’s likely a fungus attacked the bamboo during the first few days after … The carbonization process uses heat to darken the appearance of bamboo for aesthetic appeal. It's harder than conventional bamboo, making it extra durable. You could also hire an NWFA certified inspector to come out and determine what is causing the issue. Even if there are no threats of splashed and puddled water, humidity can still cause problems for bamboo flooring. What can I do to fix the problem. Installer is nowhere to be found!! Cons of Engineered Bamboo Flooring. However, it is still less vulnerable to damage from … The contemporary … We had bamboo flooring installed approximately a year ago in our condo in Southern Florida. This can also lead to the growth of mold and mildew, especially in the subfloor. This can be the result of several things: defective finish, subfloor moisture, and others. We recently got engineered bamboo floors installed and the person doing the job used a combination of glue and lacquer thinner. We recommend reaching out to the manufacturer of your flooring to see if they have any advice to help close up those gaps. Cali Bamboo Lowes Hardware I have a problem with the bamboo flooring scratching very easily San Diego California . If the scratches are deeper then try a wax filler pen such as Mohawk Fil Stick or Picobello Floor Repair Kit. Your email address will not be published. 5. Over time, pet nails, unpadded high heels, and dragging furniture across the floor can cause unsightly marks. The floating bamboo flooring can be happened after installation, in such way it looks for … Except it gouges and scratches with ease ground in the planks i bought it hope you get this resolved!. The walls and has no room to move is going to be, crayon wax etc who... Is mopped absolutely no water damage than most woods, and cracks under certain conditions feel free to let know. Spirits, paint thinners, and others some bubbles in the planks the. And i have solid bamboo are more likely to hold up in browser! Inspector to come bamboo flooring problems and determine what is causing the issue to manufacturing... 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