Thank, nees1212! How would it do if it got wet, like the situation swamprat eluded to? Also, are there different types of strand bamboo? I see Strand Bamboo, Strand Woven Bamboo, Strand Carbonized Bamboo and Ultra-Strand Bamboo. I'm so confused. :lol2:

 

Strand and strand-woven are the same. This is the strongest version of bamboo that I'm aware of. Carbonized is a method of browning (changing the color) of the bamboo and leads to a softer bamboo. I haven't heard of the ultra-strand, but probably some marketing ploy. It can warp and buckle if water sits on hit like hardwood, although it can handle it better than a typical hardwood. In the past few years, I've installed a strand bamboo flooring from LumberLiquidators and a Bruce oak hardwood from Home Depot. I had nearly 50% bad wood, and I returned it to Home Depot as we were laying it, and they were cool about it. As I brought back a full box of bad boards, they let me take a full new box. Generally rule of thumb is 10%, but the boxes had so many warped boards and board with worm holes that I would never buy a Bruce flooring again. The strand bamboo had 0 defective boards. The only negative installing it was that it will dull a blade quickly, and you best have your nail gun at the maximum psi because the stuff is hard.

 

What sold me on the strand bamboo was the demonstration a sales guy at the Florence store did for me a few years back. They have sections on the floor with different styles laid in about a 6x6 square. He took a hammer and threw it against some hand scraped hardwood flooring on the floor. It left a considerable indentation that exposed the bare wood. Since it was a distressed hand scraped, he colored in the exposed wood with a black sharpie, and it basically blended in. He then took the hammer and threw it against the section of strand bamboo on the floor, and it just bounced off. I was amazed that it didn't leave a mark. That led me to take the key test to various samples from LL and some online retailers.

RTS, my sister has laminate in her kitchen. Dishwasher slow leaked, got between the laminate and the moisture barrier. Nobody knew of the leak until the laminate started bubbling up. The whole kitchen floor had to be replaced. Oddly enough she put laminate back down.

 

I work in insurance. I would not recommend putting laminate flooring in a kitchen or bathroom. Dishwasher leaks, ice maker supply lines, etc. are quite common and it does not take very much water at all to ruin a laminate floor. Manufactures constantly change the colors just enought that once you've had laminate down for about a year or so it becomes very difficult to match it, so you end up having to replace the entire floor. Laminate flooring is a good product, it just shouldn't go adjacent to anywhere where moisture is. I don't really have any experience with vinyl planking, so I can't give any insight.

I'll agree with allure from Home Depot. It's also water proof in that it won't bubble up etc because it's a rubber like material. All you need is a 1 meter straight edge, box knife and extra blades and some snips.

RTS, let me know if you are interested in going the bamboo route....A friend of mine purchased some to put down, and now they're moving, so it never made it down. He's looking to unload a decent amount.

UKMF, do you if it's a dark, medium or light color? My wife doesn't think dark would work, but I'm interested.

 

Again, I thank all of you for the help!

UKMF, do you if it's a dark, medium or light color? My wife doesn't think dark would work, but I'm interested.

 

Again, I thank all of you for the help!

 

I believe it's dark, but not positive. I can check and get back with you.

I believe it's dark, but not positive. I can check and get back with you.

Thanks, that would be great!

I work in insurance. I would not recommend putting laminate flooring in a kitchen or bathroom. Dishwasher leaks, ice maker supply lines, etc. are quite common and it does not take very much water at all to ruin a laminate floor. Manufactures constantly change the colors just enought that once you've had laminate down for about a year or so it becomes very difficult to match it, so you end up having to replace the entire floor. Laminate flooring is a good product, it just shouldn't go adjacent to anywhere where moisture is. I don't really have any experience with vinyl planking, so I can't give any insight.

 

Vinyl planking is just that. Vinyl. We put it down, because of the possibility of spills and accidents, which were prevalent during my father's final years. It's a floating floor just like laminate. It's tongue and groove just like laminate, too, goes together exactly the same way.

Here is one of the bedrooms with vinyl planking.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]43087[/ATTACH]

That looks nice, swamprat! What brand and color is that?

That looks nice, swamprat! What brand and color is that?

 

Tranquility.

 

Rio Rosewood.

Thanks, that would be great!

 

Friend got back to me today....He no longer has the bamboo. Said he sold it to someone a couple weeks back.

Friend got back to me today....He no longer has the bamboo. Said he sold it to someone a couple weeks back.

Story of my life, a day late and a dollar short. :lol2:

 

I appreciate you asking for me.

Question: If you buy from a place like Builders Surplus or Lumber Liquidators, is the warranty on the product void?

Question: If you buy from a place like Builders Surplus or Lumber Liquidators, is the warranty on the product void?

 

Nope.

Nope.

Thanks, nees1212.