Bamboo flooring and cabinetry- beautiful and sustainable

Whereas hardwood trees can take 15 to 80 years to reach harvestable height, bamboo reaches its maximum height in less than a year, and becomes dense enough to harvest within four to six years. Like grass, it quickly regenerates (it grows up to 3 feet a day) and can be cut without harming the plant, meaning the world’s bamboo supply won’t be swiftly depleted.

Bamboo flooring is available in several common varieties. Here are the most important things you need to know:

•Solid bamboo. Rather than a solid plank, solid bamboo is made up of smaller bamboo slats that are glued together in either a vertical or horizontal grain. Vertical-grain flooring stands each of the slats on edge and glues them together, creating a stronger board. Horizontal grain glues the slats in three flat layers for a more traditional appearance.

•Natural or carbonized. Unstained bamboo is usually offered in two colors, natural or “carbonized.” The lighter shade is bamboo’s natural color. Baking the slats caramelizes the bamboo’s sugars, creating the darker color.

•Engineered bamboo. A wear layer of bamboo is glued to a core of solid wood or other material.

•OSB, strand, or woven bamboo. Made of smaller strands of bamboo bound with resin in a heat and pressure process, strand bamboo can be twice as hard as traditional bamboo.

Smith and Fong PLYBOO is a sustainable product choice made from 100% bamboo. PLYBOO’s bamboo is grown in managed forests where harvesting is done by hand to minimize the impact on the local environment while ensuring the health of the forests are maintained. 

Smith & Fong. Plyboo bamboo flooring is available in edge grain or flat grain in natural or amber colors. Unfinished or prefinished with aluminum oxide, the flooring measures 5/8 inch thick by 3-3/4 inches wide by 75 inches long. The company also offers strand bamboo flooring. www.plyboo.com.

Smith and Fong PLYBOO has a breadth of product offering including PlybooStrand™, Neopolitan™, PlybooSquared™ and the Durapalm® collection.   The scope of each product line includes architectural plywoods and veneers, (used for cabinetry, furniture and paneling), flooring, stair components, as well as trim, moldings and tambour paneling.  All PLYBOO products are eligible for LEED credits.

Bamboo Strand flooring is Smith & Fong’s latest foray into the diverse world of bamboo. Combining beauty and good looks with exceptional durability, Bamboo Strand, made of 100% bamboo, is particularly suited for commercial environments. In an ever-expanding market for high-quality green building products, Smith & Fong has emerged as a leader in Bamboo Strand flooring.

Mixing strands of bamboo with a low-VOC adhesive, Plyboo StrandT is manufactured using high levels of compression. With all strips oriented in the same direction, the shredded bamboo mass is thrashed and then, under extreme pressure, compressed by 75 percent to yield high-density planks. After a kiln-drying and milling process the planks are sanded and finished, giving them their trademark Plyboo StrandT look.

At 2600 psi twice as hard as red oak, strand flooring is the hardest bamboo flooring on the market today. Plyboo StrandT is particularly suited for commercial use but is also popular among homeowners for its warm and natural aesthetic. Plyboo StrandT flooring can be cut and laminated using conventional equipment and adhesives, and will sand and finish like other hardwood flooring products.

I have done some extensive research and found that Smith & Fong has a solid reputation and is one of the highest rated companies distributing bamboo flooring. If you’re interested, please find more reading material here http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4212735.html, http://www.ebuild.com/articles/catCode.-1/articleID.471910.hwx.

 

If you are interested in finding out more about Smith & Fong’s line of products, please send an email to bamboo@ecotransitions.com.