How is Bamboo Flooring Made?
Find out how bamboo is sustainably harvested to make a beautiful natural floor covering for your home.
From forest to floor: the bamboo flooring process
Indigenous to China, bamboo is an incredibly fast-growing grass with more than 1000 different species of all shapes and colours.
The right bamboo = the best result
Throughout China, vast plantations grow different varieties of bamboo for all types of products, however, the largest species of all is known as Moso bamboo.
This species is ideal for turning into quality bamboo flooring as it grows quickly and doesn’t require replanting after harvesting: the stalks are simply trimmed at the base and new shoots soon appear – often within hours!
(Plus, Moso bamboo is also an environmentally sustainable choice as it does not form part of the panda’s diet, making it a sound ethical choice for homeowners.)
Processing
Once the bamboo is harvested at the plantation, the long poles are split into strips called fingers and steamed under pressure in a process called carbonising.
This process essentially ‘caramelises’ the plant sugars and water content of the bamboo, creating a natural warm golden hue.
Drying and ageing
Once the bamboo has been carbonised, it still contains some moisture, so the bamboo needs to dry completely before the manufacturing process can start. Bundles of raw bamboo planks are dried in kilns and left to age before moving on to the shaping and forming process.
Final finishing
After glue is applied to permanently bond the fibres, the bamboo is passed through presses and moulds which apply extreme pressure, locking the fibres into place and creating a smooth and even finish.
To ensure optimum longevity, hardness and stain resistance, the compressed bamboo flooring goes through twelve(!) varnishing, anti-abrasion and anti-UV coatings to create a flooring product that will stand the test of time.
The final finishing stage is also when the tongue and groove shape is applied, creating the easy ‘click in’ installation method that makes bamboo flooring so easy to install.
What is strand woven bamboo?
When researching bamboo flooring you may come across the term ‘strand woven bamboo’: this simply means that the fingers of bamboo have been agitated to separate the individual fibres, then bonded together again using heat and moisture.
Because bamboo fibres are very long – much longer than regular timber fibres – they have a large amount of natural flexibility, giving the end product excellent tensile strength.
Benefits of bamboo flooring
Bamboo flooring is incredibly durable, lightweight and affordable – and it looks great!
A smart choice for floors, bamboo is a renewable and sustainable product that is easy to install to create a beautiful bamboo floating floor.
It is harder and stronger than traditional hardwood floor boards and is easy to clean and maintain. Woodland Lifestyle has some of the best bamboo flooring products on the market, with an industry-leading coating process that ensures your bamboo floorboards can withstand the wear and tear of modern life.
Plus, it’s a healthy choice too, offering excellent indoor air quality characteristics due to its very low emission levels and absence of heavy metals, phthalates and other hazardous chemicals.
Why choose Woodland Lifestyle for your home?
Our bamboo flooring colours include warm natural hues through to dark mahogany tones, light cream colours and even modern grey bamboo flooring inspired by the rocky coastlines of the South Island.
Whatever colour you choose, bamboo flooring is sure to offer a modern look which adds elegance to your home. Our bamboo flooring planks come in 1.85m metre lengths and can be quickly installed over most existing hard floor coverings such as concrete or wooden subfloors, transforming your home and giving a fresh, clean look.
To find out more about bamboo flooring options for your home, get in touch with our friendly team for advice, or request a sample so you can match your furnishings and style to our distinctive flooring colours.
