By Philippe Erramuzpe COO, US Floors
Cork and bamboo floors are among the most environmentally correct flooring alternatives. While the raw material for cork and bamboo flooring is renewable, the harvesting process does not disturb the ecosystem, unlike wood flooring, which requires trees to be cut. By recycling the post-industrial by-products from the wine industry, the manufacturing of cork floors contributes even more to environmental preservation.

With so much buzz today around the green movement, if you have not embraced these two categories you could be missing out on potential sources of revenues.

How can I differentiate between cork flooring lines?

Cork floating floors represent more than 95% of residential applications while glue down tiles’ general use is for commercial applications. This is what you need to know:

Fiberboard

Some manufacturers use low-grade MDF versus a high density fiberboard (HDF), while the highest quality HDF panels, rated for exterior use, offer a better resistance to moisture.

Formaldehyde content must also be researched, mainly for products sourced outside of Europe. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen that keeps off-gassing a long time after production.

Some manufacturers offer a treatment of the boards’ edges to prevent potential damages from topical moisture penetrating through the joints.

Quality of the wearlayer

Again, binders and adhesives from cork floors sourced outside of Europe could be questionable and contain high levels of urea formaldehyde.

Density of the wearlayer can vary. Obviously, higher density means higher price but better wearability. It is important to know that Chinese cork tree bears thinner and denser bark, is intrinsically different and does not have the same insulating properties as Mediterranean cork.

Quality of the finish

Look for technologically improved finishes offering a much greater resistance to wear and scratches.

Glue down tiles

It is important to differentiate between the “massive” styles made of a homogeneous construction and the veneered tiles where a thin decorative layer is pressed over a homogeneous base. These bases can sometimes be of low quality with the blend of granules containing dirt, pieces of wood and stone. As a rule of thumb, the darker the base, the lower the quality.

How about bamboo lines?

Bamboo has become quite popular in recent years. Unfortunately, however, there have been many quality issues related to low-priced materials. Reputable suppliers work with modern manufacturing facilities in China, use adhesives and finishes in compliance with environmental standards and are involved in the quality control process.

Be aware of the risk when purchasing material sourced from traders. Generally, they buy from smaller Chinese mills where manufacturing processes are substandard. Since products from different mills are mixed, expect some serious inconsistencies.

Hardness of the material

Because of high demand and pricing competitiveness, some of the bamboo raw material is cut after only three years of maturity. The young bamboo is still quite soft at this stage and will indent easily. Only a bamboo stalk cut after five to six years of maturity is suitable for the production of flooring.

It is important to know that the carbonized color of the bamboo is obtained by “baking” the strips, therefore making the fibers become brittle and less resistant to wear. For high-traffic applications, you need to look into strand-woven bamboo. This material is made with bamboo strips dipped into adhesive and literally “crushed” under high pressure. The density is about 25% higher than traditional bamboo flooring.

Formaldehyde content

In the manufacturing process, bamboo strips are glued together. You should require a specification sheet from your supplier to prove the adhesive meets the E1 norm.

Selection

You should differentiate by offering an attractive product selection. Bamboo has become stylish and is now offered in a variety of stains, surface treatments and constructions allowing for more versatile uses.

Trims

Trims for bamboo floors are not widely available, and it is preferable to do business with a company offering a selection of moldings to make sure you can complete your installations adequately.

The old adage “You get what you pay for” seems to always apply.