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Not long ago we came across a discussion on
a flooring message board that proved to be
particularly interesting. It dealt with a
consumer that had been told by an installer
to acclimate the product by as much as two
months which we considered to be a bit on
the severe side. However the customer
resided in a dry western state. The only
confusing part of bamboo moisture testing is
how to perform it. Then we put in a call
into a representative of Tramex, the world
leader in moisture testing.
Considering bamboo is not wood but a grass,
the response was to compare samples of
bamboo that we worked with in the past, as
they have no calibration for bamboo itself.
We thought "what a great response" and have
pursued it since. Bamboo will react to
moisture swings just as hardwood flooring
will. Not long ago a distributor claimed
they had a great product at a great price
and wanted to move 40,000 square feet. We
thought why not check it out.
It spooked us to say the least and we
avoided it after picking up a sample box and
testing. Pictured below from left to right:
Sample board, actual product, and a bamboo
product we've had great success with. We
were told initially when concerns were
expressed about the high moisture content to
let it acclimate for two weeks. The reading
of 13.5 is two months of acclimation and
it's obvious it will not improve. The
reading on the far right is one of our
proven products that has been sitting in the
same environment.
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Okay, I'm sure
you're wondering; how does 8.6% and 13.5%
relate? The readings represent the moisture
content in
the material itself without any
calibration to go by. 13.5% may perform well
in humid climates or where high water tables
are common, but that represents only a small
portion of the United States. Installed in
much drier climates, expect shrinkage and
gapping once the material adjusts to the
conditions of your area.
In conclusion we feel the proof is in the
pictures. Be careful out there when shopping
for bamboo flooring as you never know what
you're going to get. We recommend proven
brands or ones that have more visibility as
seen in hundreds of flooring showrooms
across the United States. It's more likely
these brands will have a deeper customer
support base if problems should occur. |
