How bamboo is made into flooring.
Filed Under Bamboo Floors | Leave a Comment
Bamboo grows all over the world. A grass and not a tree, it’s one of the fastest growing plants on earth. In fact, a single shoot or stalk of bamboo can grow as much as 4 feet in a day.
Aside from the appearance, which is elegant and sophisticated, what attracts most people to bamboo floors is bamboo’s renewability. Unlike hardwoods that can take up to 150 years to mature, bamboo reaches maturity in five to seven years.
What’s more, harvesting doesn’t kill the plant. The root system remains intact and after the stalk is cut, new shoots sprout up.
Harvesting the bamboo stalks.
Bamboo is harvested by hand when it’s mature. The stalks are put through a machine that splits them, cuts them all to the same length, removes the knuckles or knots, and peels off the skin.
Bamboo should be harvested during the lower-moisture season — fall or winter. Bamboo that’s cut down in summer may end up splitting when it’s dried because of the higher moisture content. And the stalks should be processed right after cutting to prevent the growth of mold.
To kill off insects, starches, and sugars, the strips are boiled in water and preservatives. After boiling, the strips are air dried and then kiln dried for up to five days to reduce the moisture content. A moisture content greater than 10% could result in boards that crack or ripple in dry climates.
Bamboo is naturally a beautiful, pale color. But carbonization can be used to darken the wood if a darker colored bamboo floor is desired. Steam heats the bamboo until the sugar in it caramelizes, resulting in warm, amber color. The steaming process softens the bamboo, so generally speaking, the lighter the bamboo, the harder it will be and the better it will wear.
Making solid bamboo flooring.
After the boards are produced, they’re graded, and the strips are glued together — 15 strips face up for horizontal flooring and 19 strips side by side for vertical floors. The strips are heated and pressed together to form boards called blanks.
Most bamboo flooring is made in China, where formaldehyde-based glue is often used in the manufacturing process. These bamboo floors can emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can cause health problems. Reputable manufactures ensure that their flooring complies with safety standards. Inexpensive flooring may not be in compliance.
The blanks are cut to the desired length and then milled into floor boards with tongue and groove edges. A sanding belt is used to smooth out the boards and give them a uniform surface.
Before being shipped, the boards are coated, usually with an aluminum-oxide urethane finish.
Making strand-woven bamboo flooring.
Bamboo that’s over 50 feet tall is referred to as timber. It’s used to make strand-woven bamboo flooring. The timber is shredded, and the fibers are bonded together with an adhesive resin under extreme pressure. The fiber mixture is molded into blocks which are later milled into boards.
Strand-woven bamboo flooring is not only beautiful and distinctive, it’s some of the hardest, most durable flooring you can buy. In fact, it has twice the hardness of red oak.
Learn more about the different types of bamboo flooring here.
Comments
Leave a Reply
