Article Number : 2621 |
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| Date | 10/25/2007 9:42:58 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=2621 |
| Abstract | By Louis Iannaco For the past several years, sales of bamboo flooring have been on the upsurge. Accordingly, and with the use of advanced technology, manufacturers of this eco-friendly product have offered more colors, sizes... |
| Article | By Louis Iannaco For the past several years, sales of bamboo flooring have been on the upsurge. Accordingly, and with the use of advanced technology, manufacturers of this eco-friendly product have offered more colors, sizes and textures in an effort to whet the appetite of the consumer looking for something different. As a result, several bamboo producers have recently hit the marketplace with a spate of new products or are about to. Distressed hand-scraped solid bamboo flooring was first introduced by Hawa Bamboo in China and later into the American marketplace. Its eight-coat German Kumpp brand finish is an aluminum oxide-enhanced polyurethane product that protects the bamboo fibers from external damages. The distressed bamboo is available in 6-foot-wide boards for easy installation, and measure 37-7/8 inches long. The product is available in black, cherry, white and burgundy stained colors. “At this time,” said Robert Pearson, Hawa’s technical/customer service manager, “the black seems to be the most popular color. The distressed feature is actually done by hand for a more natural effect. In this way, each board has different characteristics.” Philippe Erramuzpe, COO of Natural Cork, spoke about the company’s new brand for 2007, Natural Cork & More, a line of “very attractive bamboo engineered products.” This collection, displayed in the company’s Tower concept, is comprised of 13 SKUs. “Bamboo is a versatile product, and we wanted to play with colors and construction to use the material in a specific way and create a version similar in appearance to the Exotics species,” he explained. “By using the vertical bamboo construction combined with the color range of many exotic essences, the result is a beautiful flooring material that is non-traditional, rich looking and unique. The engineered construction over a multiply substrate allows for better stability and a wider range of applications in the field.” The collection also offers three references of strand-woven bamboo, a very dense material made of ‘crushed’ bamboo strips, again offering a different look than the traditional bamboo flooring. “In addition, the eco-friendliness of bamboo makes it a material of choice and a great alternative for the requirement of LEED-certified projects over endangered exotic species,” Erramuzpe added. According to Ann Knight, executive vice president/marketing director for Teragren, “We will be launching the latest innovation to our popular Synergy strand bamboo flooring line at Surfaces 2008.” Technological advancements Beyond product lines, this past year Teragren developed an exclusive U.S. and International patents-pending engineered 100% bamboo cross-ply substrate for use in its engineered products, she explained. “This substrate is now being used in the manufacturing of Teragren’s two floating floor options: Teragren Studio Bamboo Wide Plank Floating Floor, featuring TeraLoc, and our latest innovation launching at Surfaces.” The benefits include 100% bamboo fiber utilization (rather than a hardwood substrate) and greater stability in the wider, longer planks. “In May 2007, we also introduced a manufacturing adhesive alternative to further enhance the environmental attributes of our beautiful, durable and renewable bamboo products,” added Knight. “Teragren’s bamboo flooring can now be specially manufactured with an adhesive that is formaldehyde-free, allowing all the company’s products to qualify for two credits through the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.” Carbonization: How it’s done In explaining the carbonization process utilized by Hawa, Pearson noted the raw slats of bamboo are boiled in a solution of water, hydrogen peroxide and borate solution to eliminate pests and mildew, then kiln-dried to remove moisture. “The slats are kiln-dried to a minimum of 5% and a maximum of 8% to 10% moisture content. Raw flooring blanks are stored in a humidity-controlled warehouse for two weeks to achieve 8% to 10% delivered moisture content.” |