“Bamboo flooring is certainly becoming more popular,” says Melissa Kwok, marketing manager, Kensington Carpet One Floor & Home.

“With the green, environmentally-friendly trend, in the last six months, our customers are coming in and asking ‘ tell me what’s green.’ ”

Kensington Carpet One Floor & Home began selling bamboo flooring in 2004 with only occasional city orders.  Then in October 2006, the store began carrying Teragren Fine Bamboo Flooring, Panels & Veneer (http://www.teragren.com).

Sustainably harvested, Teragren bamboo is manufactured into durable, beautiful and renewable flooring, panels and veneers. “I’m very happy with the Teragren product,” says Kwok. Since they began carrying Teragren, Kwok says the store’s sales of bamboo flooring have taken off. So far, she estimates the store has sold 15 orders of Teragren bamboo flooring valued at $30,000 to 40,000.

As well, Kensington carries bamboo window coverings from Kathy Ireland’s Woven Wood collection. In Calgary, Teragren is also available at Maguire’s Flooring & Window Coverings and Floorscapes.   Natural, carmelized and darker stain colours and Synergy Teragren bamboo flooring have been Kensington bestsellers, chosen often for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and hallways.  The bamboo, priced at $6 to $8.50 per square foot, takes four to six weeks from placement of order. 

Moso bamboo
Essentially, bamboo is a tall grass, largely found in subtropical areas.  Today, China is the main producer of bamboo and the southern U.S. has begun cultivating it.  A natural, rapidly renewable resource, bamboo can grow up to three feet a day.  Unlike traditional hardwood forests, bamboo takes only five to seven years to regrow and its roots aren’t destroyed.  By pressing or crushing bamboo stalks, companies can produce soft fibres or boards for flooring to clothing.

Moso bamboo, considered the best choice for flooring, takes five to six years to mature.  When mature and properly harvested, it can be 25 per cent harder than red oak and 12 per cent harder than North American maple.  If it is harvested prematurely at three years or less, bamboo flooring can be soft as fir, scratching, denting and warping easily.   If the wrong species is used or bamboo is harvested too early, the flooring may appear gray or dull.

Environmentally friendly?
While environmental friendliness attracts many consumers, not all bamboo flooring is kind to the environment.  Consumers should look for bamboo that is sustainably harvested and manufactured in an ISO-certified factory.  The flooring should feature components such as a water-based, solvent-free, non-off-gassing finish and a manufacturing adhesive that meets stringent OSHA standards for off-gassing formaldehyde.

Calgary homeowners should keep in mind the city’s drying climate.  With bamboo flooring, Kwok advises “you should keep a constant humidity. As long as your home maintains a constant humidity level, (it should be fine).  It’s as easy as getting a humidifier.”

She adds “consumers should be well aware that UV rays can change the colour of natural products.  For example, tiger wood becomes more reddish than orange and evens out over time.”

A lot of Calgary consumers are looking for what’s bigger, better and the newest in home décor, says Kwok. “Bamboo flooring is a great option with a different look such as the vertical and horizontal cut and bamboo striations.  It’s different than the ordinary especially if you’re concerned about the environment.”

Current trends, Kwok explains, are towards hard surface flooring—hardwood, cork and bamboo.  In fact, in the last two years sales at Kensington Carpet One Floor & Home have tripled.  Other upcoming flooring trends: wool (“natural fibre, hypoallergenic”); more colours and styles; brown, green and blues, stripes and polka dots (“circle shapes in general”).  

“We call flooring the fifth wall in your home,” says Kwok.

• www.kensingtoncarpetone.ca
• www.kensingtoncarpetone.ca
• www.teragren.com
• www.maguiresflooring.com
• www.floorscapes.net

How to Buy Bamboo Flooring
What are some questions you should ask?  Here are a few:
How hard is the bamboo flooring on the Janka ball test?  The Janka ball test is designed to measure the hardness level of wood floors and the higher the number, the better.  For example, Teragren’s bamboo products show an average hardness of 1820—making it 25 per cent harder than White Oak (1360) and 12 per cent harder than  Rock Maple (1450).
Is the bamboo flooring coming from a reputable manufacturer, or from an importer or trading house purchasing from any factory or multiple factories based primarily on the lowest price?  Much of the bamboo sold in North America is grown in China.  However, quality control standards in China, where most bamboo flooring is produced, are inconsistent.  There is little industry oversight, and neither China nor the U.S. has created an independent grading system. You should ask retailers if the manufacturer uses a system of quality control and grading standards.

What will I get in terms of customer service?  It is important that you know that the company supplying their bamboo can offer a high level of technical support and customer service. Discounters, importers and web-direct vendors may have more difficulty providing this.  Superior customer service and technical support are crucial should any problems arise.

Source: Teragren Fine Bamboo Flooring, Panels & Veneer


Inspired Thinking…for ideas and inspiration about bamboo, check out these websites:

• www.thebamboosite.com
• www.bamboosource.com
• www.bambooworld.com
• www.bamboocraft.net
• www.world-bamboo.com
• www.bamboocentral.org
• www.yourhomeplanet.com