Mannington’s Natural Bamboo

By Louis Iannaco
Hicksville, N.Y.—According to several industry executives, cork flooring, which has been seemingly rediscovered in recent years as evidenced by its increased use in public spaces via specifiers and the A&D community, not only looks good but is one of the more durable floor coverings on the market today. The same can be said of bamboo, which continues to grow in popularity and, while it is not technically a wood but rather a grass, its toughness and durability is comparable to cork.

“Cork has always been on the commercial side,” said Christopher Capobianco of Flooring Answers. “There has historically been more cork sold commercially than residentially. Its advantages are both the look and durability in addition to the insulating characteristics of cork that make it quieter and warmer than almost any other hard surface flooring material.

“It is classified as resilient flooring but you really need to treat it like wood because it has a lot of the same characteristics as far as its sensitivity to temperature and moisture,” he added. “It has to be installed in climate controlled buildings, the material must be acclimated to site conditions, and it can’t be exposed to a lot of water or abuse like furniture being dragged across it.”

“People should know that cork floors are environmentally friendly,” said Philippe Erramuzpe, COO of Natural Cork. “Only the bark of the tree is peeled off and will regenerate itself. Trees are not cut and the habitat remains untouched. Cork floors are sound absorbent and very resilient. This is the most comfortable floor besides carpet. They also offer attractive design options, are easy to maintain, and are priced competitively in comparison to other hard surface alternatives.”

“It is important to note that all cork products are not created equal and some are not suitable for commercial use,” said Rob McKee of Expanko Cork. “While tempting, users should not shop according to product price. Lower priced products will have lower densities, lower quality finishes and product tolerances that are less than industry standards.

“Additionally,” he noted, “purchase from a company with dedicated technical support. Cork is easily installed if the right steps are taken, however should there be any issues that arise, you want to know that there is an experienced company that will stand behind the product and be able to assist.

“The issue that is most critical to be aware of for commercial use is to select a product with a strong wear resistant finish,” added McKee. “The most durable finishes are polyurethane, while the finishes to avoid for commercial use are acrylic. Don’t use surface stained products in heavy commercial installations because if the finish wears through, it cannot be repaired. Solid tiles, where the pattern and color runs through the entire thickness of the product are preferred.

“Thickness is something to be aware of as those who desire a floor that will last 50-plus years should select a thicker product,” he continued, “such as 5/16-in. (vs. the standard 3/16-in. thickness). Density is also a critical factor and material should have a density greater than 36 pounds per cubic foot.”

“Cork is misunderstood by many people in the flooring industry,” said Capobianco. “The assumption is often made that since it gets glued down in tiles, it is similar to other resilient floor tile products, but that’s not necessarily true because of the special handling and unique adhesives used to install cork. If it’s handled, installed and maintained with care, it’s a beautiful and long lasting floor.

“Although some of the traditional waxed cork is still sold it is very tough to maintain, so urethane is the preferred finish today,” he explained “I prefer the unfinished product myself because by finishing on site you are able to achieve a smoother floor that will look better from the start than with factory urethane that may have a slight edge curl. If factory urethane is used, I always recommend that a ‘screen and coat’ process be used to apply an additional coat of urethane or two.”

“In general,” said McKee, “cork is an excellent product with a wide range of suitability from residential to heavy commercial. It has proven itself for over 100 years as a durable, easy to maintain and beautiful product. It is a natural product and as such, slight shade variation is inherent. Cork should be installed in areas not subjected to direct sunlight as the product can fade over time as the natural coloration of the tile is developed during the baking process, not a chemical stain.

“Additionally,” he noted, “installation of the product must be done according to instructions as the product is sensitive to environmental factors such as heat and humidity prior to and during installation. Once properly installed, cork will provide years of service.”

Bamboo Growing

Bill Smith of Bali Flooring, which sells both cork and bamboo flooring, is excited about both types of products and the potential each has for continued growth. “The interest is there, now how that translates into sales is a whole other question. But if you were to look at the sales of bamboo and cork over the last five years, you’d see a steady increase in this market segment, the reasons being a lot more people are selling it, a lot more people are showing it, and more people are getting better educated on it. This doesn’t mean they are all the way there, but it certainly means they are getting there quicker.”

In recent years, bamboo, like cork, has been growing in popularity with both consumers as well as the A&D community. John Himes, director of hardwood business for Mannington, believes bamboo is no longer a niche item but has now reached the mainstream in the hard surface floor covering world. “Over the past few years, bamboo flooring has made its way into the mainstream of hardwood offerings. Many manufacturers, like Mannington, are including it in their line, not just as a niche extension. We believe that this has helped both retailers and consumers accept bamboo very readily as a viable hardwood option.

The growth of bamboo, noted Himes, has led to more people knowing about the product throughout the different levels of the flooring industry. “We find that it’s always beneficial to provide ongoing education on all of our products. That said, however, bamboo’s increasing popularity has led to more knowledge about the product—at the distributor level, the retail sales level and the consumer level. The one area where people have to be aware is with the quality of the bamboo they are purchasing. We always recommend purchasing flooring from a reputable manufacturer since some bamboo flooring is produced using inferior materials and substandard manufacturing processes.”

One of the great benefits of bamboo is its “green” story. Because it is a grass and not a wood, forests are not affected by its growing popularity as it is harvested every few years. “Bamboo has a very good green story,” said Himes. “It’s readily renewable—it can grow up to three feet in one day and up to 100-ft. tall. Within five to seven years, it becomes harvestable for use as flooring. Mannington bamboo can be installed using the floating method, which means it doesn’t require any additional glues or adhesives to install; and it’s warranted for 25 years—but because of its hardness will likely last many, many more than that.”

Smith, who noted bamboo is now close to 5% of the U.S. hardwood segment, believes strongly that the A&D community has been a major driving force in the recent sales of both cork and bamboo. “It’s out of necessity for the A&D community, as they are now seeing a lot of government-funded or environmentally-minded owners wanting to go with green buildings. It’s all about LEEDS certification.

“This project we are doing right now in Seattle,” he explained, “6,000 condo units are all going to be green. This is happening a lot and as in many ‘new’ things, you see a trickle-down effect from the A&D community. The popularity with both cork and bamboo has to do with education and exposure, a lot of people are wanting to do big projects while wanting them to be green.”