Bamboo flooring

B52

Am thinking of using Bamboo flooring in the living room and possibly kitchen.

Any board members have advice on it? Do you recommend?

Thanks!

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Are you talking about the real stuff or is it a photograph of bamboo printed onto fibreboard and laminated like the laminate 'wooden' flooring?

Leeds_Fan_2

Have a look at https://www.simplybamboo.co.uk. I am considering it and they sent me some samples and it looks pretty good. Had oak flooring before and bamboo looks to be harder wearing.

tesuhoha

We have bamboo flooring throughout the entire ground floor of our house. It was put down about 6 years ago and i would thoroughly recommend it. it looks very good. We revarnished a few of the rooms last year but it was quite easy to do and it was because of excessive wear near the computer (my son). We have it in the kitchen which was also revarnished and the one thing i would say about that is that you have to be careful about not getting it wet but that is probably the same as any other wooden floor.

chez_2

tesuhoha wrote:

you have to be careful about not getting it wet but that is probably the same as any other wooden floor.

I know this may be a stupid question,but why?

Are you talking about not wetting it and leaving it or noit getting it wet at all?

If any wetness is bad, I would think twice befor using it in a lounge or kitchen (where things may be spilled) and would never use it in a toilet/bathroom/en-suite...

Plasticman

It should be OK with the odd spill but shouldn't be used in damp areas:

Q. Where can I install bamboo flooring?
A. Bamboo flooring is an extremely versatile flooring product. It can be installed in virtually any room of your home, above or below ground, over wood, OSB, or existing vinyl flooring. There are several locations that are not recommended for bamboo flooring. Because bamboo flooring is a natural flooring product it is not recommended that bamboo be installed in wet locations such as bathrooms, washrooms, saunas, enclosed porches or verandas, or anywhere that may require wet-mopping. Extended exposure to moisture of this type may cause your bamboo flooring to warp or swell.

tesuhoha

chez wrote:

I know this may be a stupid question,but why?

Are you talking about not wetting it and leaving it or noit getting it wet at all?

If any wetness is bad, I would think twice befor using it in a lounge or kitchen (where things may be spilled) and would never use it in a toilet/bathroom/en-suite...

i mean if you spill some water on the floor while youre washing up and dont notice it. That happened to me and it was quite a lot of water and it soaked into the wood and stained it. I have the odd spill all the time and wipe it up and that is perfectly ok. i spill tea, coffee all sorts and a little bit left on the floor would probably not matter but a flood or leaking pipe would probably damage it if it was over a long period. As i said this could probably be said for any wooden floor. And even though that happened, we sanded the floor and revarnished it and it looks perfect now.

B52

I think I will use tiles in the kitchen area instead as there's more chance of spilling of liquid.

Is the bamboo flooring easy to lay? We will DIY to keep cost low. Thanks!

tesuhoha

My husband laid it himself. You need the floor to be level. He put insulation under it so that the floor always feels warm to walk on in bare feet. He found it quite easy but he is a very practical person. The only problem was finding a strip to put in the doorway, carpet ones are no good but the bamboo co might do them now. He eventually found some wooden ones i can ask him where if you like but they turned out a bit flimsy and one of them has cracked. We have it running straight through from living room to the dining room but it can be a bit tricky from room to room. hope this helps.

Plasticman

B52 wrote:

I think I will use tiles in the kitchen area instead as there's more chance of spilling of liquid.

Is the bamboo flooring easy to lay? We will DIY to keep cost low. Thanks!

Tiles have their down side too. Depending on the tile they can easily be chipped - especially if you are a bit clumsy with your saucepans or have clumsy children!!!

tesuhoha

Plasticman wrote:

Tiles have their down side too. Depending on the tile they can easily be chipped - especially if you are a bit clumsy with your saucepans or have clumsy children!!!

That is the reason we laid the bamboo flooring in the kitchen in the first place