What are the pros and cons of Cali Bamboo flooring?

Cali Bamboo is a beautiful product. Is it very hardy and can last a lifetime! It is quite expensive and has a lot more restrictions for installation than other types of wood flooring.

Is Cali Bamboo flooring right for you? Please consider the following before you make your decision:

Cali bamboo is naturally a very hard material. Because of this, acclimation is very difficult. It must be cross stacked (like Lincoln Logs) on a skid in the area in which it will be installed for a MINIMUM of 5 days. However, it often takes longer for it to properly acclimate. On the day of the scheduled installation, we will take a moisture reading of the bamboo as well as your sub-floor. We will also take a humidity reading of the air in your home. We would be required to delay or decline the install at this point if the moisture and humidity requirements are not met. These requirements are very strict. Sometimes customers are required to purchase whole house humidifiers to maintain a certain level of humidity. 

If your floor joists are 12" your floor thickness must be a minimum of  5/8". For 12-16" joists you must be 3/4". Joists 16-19.2' apart must be a minimum of 7/8" and joists 19.3-24" apart must have a minimum floor thickness of 1-1/8 inch for this Bamboo product to be installed in your home.

After 30 ft. you will need to add an additional 1/16 every 10 ft. for expansion around the perimeter of your floor and if your floor is floating a transition strip is required after 30 ft. to give your floor the proper expansion it needs to move.

The nailing pattern is 8-10 inches.

If you do not like the idea of having transitions at each and every bend and doorway for a floating application, then Cali Bamboo may not be the product for you. Cali Bamboo requires more transitions because it is much more prone to shrinkage and shifting. The transitions provide a relief that will hopefully prevent gaps between the boards, however, gaps may still occur. Gaps in Cali Bamboo are fairly common and is not indicative of installation error or product failure.

Certain types of Cali Bamboo floors have certain installation methods. Common installation methods are Floating/locking, nailed down, or glued down. However, UHS does not glue down Cali Bamboo floors. Generally speaking, the labor to install Cali Bamboo is more costly than other wood or laminate floors.

Please click here for specific guidelines for the various installation methods of Cali Bamboo.