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Letter 26096
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+++++ I also purchased the Bamboo flooring and I really wish I
had gone with the Brazilian Cherry! I got the carbonized
bamboo flooring and while it is very beautiful it is soft as
butter. If a remote control falls from a coffee table you
will have a mark! I will need to buy some large rugs to
cover the majority of the flooring I put down just to keep
it from being beaten up. Ron M
+++++ I worked with a carpenter and installed a bamboo floor.
The installation was pretty uniform for the room was less
than 800 square feet. After installation, we noticed two
scratches in the floor in high traffic areas. Went and got a
fill in pen that you use for scratches on furniture that was
birch in color. It does not fill in the scratch enough to
make it flush with the floor. Have taken a sample of the
floor and put scratches on it similar to what I have now. On
one side, I used light sand paper and removed the scratch as
much as I could and was surprised---I did not damage the
wood as much as I thought I would. I applied a spray lacquer
over the repair area and it was not uniform and you can
still see where I made the repair. On a second scratch, I
took bowling alley/butcher's wax and filled in the scratch
by rubbing back and forth, filling in the scratch by going
across the grain. I let it sit for one hour and buff it with
a cloth. I do this several times and it seems to cover the
scratch and it is not as obvious. Bruce T
+++++ I put down over 700 s.f. of bamboo flooring and I have also been have a lot of problems with scratching and dents. Also, the end joints are coming apart too and there is no way I can get them back together without taking out the baseboards. I am not happy with the flooring at all. I would love to be involved with a class action suit. I am going to try and get some sort of satisfaction from the local store first, though. Bill A |
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I am a contractor and have a client who purchased bamboo flooring
for us to install. Every thing turned out o.k. until she had an
outside window install company install a new 6' 0" sliding glass door
after the floor was installed. They sealed the gap between their
slider and my floor with a cement or grout type product and left no
expansion gap at all. Right in front of the slider and now throughout
the downstairs floor the bamboo is cupping or as the homeowner say it
is like a washboard. She insists it was my installers lack of skill
that is the cause. I have not told her that I suspect the new slider
may be the cause because I do no know for sure if it is possible. Is
it and what can I do at this point to get the floor to lay back down.
She is demanding a refund for the install and I would like to know if
it is warranted or not.
Thank you,
Thomas L
- Fountain Valley, California
We have purchased 800 square feet of the Horizontal Carbonized Bamboo. I think the important thing with this product is to give it time to acclimatize to the atmosphere in the home before installation. I have taken some of the product out of the box, and have dropped stuff on it, pressed my fingernail into it, had my dog run over it, and tried to do damage to it in other ways. There are no scratches in the finish. I think any flooring material has its own quirks, and maybe other brands have problems. I researched for months to find a good material that was environmentally responsible and also aesthetically pleasing. I am happy with it.
Dave D
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
We just installed a Horizontal Carbonized Bamboo floor and noticed scratches immediately. After reading all the postings I'm very concerned the problem will get worst in time. If the manufacture is recommending a commercial grade finish can anyone give me a product name?
Don R
- Portland, Connecticut
I just had several rooms of horizontal bamboo flooring installed
(glue-down). After several days I noticed an area that popped up from
the glue, so now I hear a pop every time I walk on the area.
I'm completely unhappy with the quality and have already decided to
tear it up in a year have something else installed; however, for now
I need to find some extra planks to repair the bowed area!! if anyone
has any planks that has a finished surface of 36 1/4" X 3 3/4" please
let me know.
I requested replacements, but the planks they gave with the SAME
style number is an inch longer and has the male/female parts
reversed, so its useless for me. When I pointed this out, I was told
that each lot is different.
If had known this I would have NEVER wasted my money on this flooring
William M
- Phoenix, Arizona
I cannot believe I stumbled onto this website. I was in the
process of trying to solve my bamboo problems. I am in totally
agreement with each of the emails I have read which complain of the
problems with their bamboo flooring. It has been the biggest
disappointment. A huge expense and not what it was touted to be.
Scratches and dents so easily. Very, very hard to maintain. I have
two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and I cannot believe the damage
their paws do to this flooring! They weigh less than 12 pounds each.
I want to be included on any class action law suit! I am desperate to
find a finish which might improve matters. Should I try and have it
sanded down and refinished?
DON'T buy this stuff! The installers could not believe I was ripping
out the previous oak parquet which was designed and each piece put in
place beautifully.
What a mistake!!
Nancy B
- Irvine, California
I had Bamboo Flooring installed 6 months ago during a rain season. The floor was installed directly on the concrete subfloor that was dry. It is certainly not as hard as boasted. The flooring cupped markedly after 3 months. The "acclimitazation" is not the solution. The air moisture seems to cause the entire plank to swell. After its glued down, the bottom cannot move but when the top is exposed to dryer air and shrinks. This appears to cause the cupping. I have not yet had it sanded. I wonder if the use of solvents during installation as in the glue penetrates the wood bottom and causes the cupping also! I would never recommend bamboo floor to anyone.
David S
- San Dimas, California
Wow, pretty discouraging news for someone considering a bamboo floor! Has anyone heard of experiences with other brands of bamboo floors (Teragren or some such)?
Don W
- Royal Oak, Michigan
Ed. note: Don, sorry, but due to the anonymity of the internet we can't print brand comparisons. This website runs 50,000 threads and doesn't have the resources to discern real people from shills promoting their own product and slamming their competitors under fictitious names. See if a magazine like Consumer Reports [link is to product info at Amazon] has covered the topic.
I wrote about my problems here back on June 19th, and I wanted to
give an update on where I have gotten since then. Short answer:
nowhere!
I haven't found any way to repair the scratches, the on-line store's
claims dept. has been horrible to deal with, and the manufacturer
seems to be dodging the issue (although I did speak with the VP and
he assured me that he is looking for a solution).
I found out the manufacturer of the aluminum oxide finish from the
VP. The coating company told the lumber company that the aluminum
oxide is a clear coating and therefore could not possibly be the
problem. I am convinced otherwise.
My floor is carbonized with the aluminum oxide finish on the top and
bottom of the planks, but not the sides. If I scratch the top or
bottom, I get unrepairable white scratches. If I scratch the sides, I
get a normal, repairable scratch (meaning that the area is easily
stained and crayon products don't rub off easily).
The flooring supplier is telling me that the white scratching is
inherent in the carbonized product, but my previous paragraph shows
that to be false.
There have been so many statements on this board about how easily
this stuff scratches, if there was a single manufacturer I think a
class action would be viable.
BTW, I have also experienced severe denting problems with my floor.
Like others have said, even the most common household items will dent
and scratch this stuff.
Dan H
(returning)
- Lake Arrowhead, California
I just put horizontal bamboo in my living and dining room - while it looks pretty in the box, it is scratching everywhere!! What a waste. If anyone does start a class action - seriously - I want in!!!
Theresa B
- Douglas, Massachusetts
I've been asked to clarify the issue of bowing and warping bamboo. I purchased this on line - vertical carbonized. Instructions indicated that it could be glued down on concrete. This is what was done. I have just removed the flooring. It appears the glue did not do a great job in areas- as in some areas- it pulled up chunks of concrete. I also had no moisture barrier and any water spilled on the floor that went between the joints- formed a lot of mold on the bottom side of the planks. I am now installing a hickory engineered floating floor with antimicrobial underlayment.
Mike C
(returning)
handyman - Temecula, California
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+++++ maintenance instruction bamboo floor Jack
+++++ I too recently purchased Carbonized Vertical Bamboo
floors. 1200 sf. I have two dogs and have found these floors
to scratch at every turn. When they moved the refrigerator
back into its spot in the kitchen, it also left deep gouges.
We have only installed it to this point in the kitchen and
dining room and are wondering if it's worth it to continue
in the rest of the house. Kehmay A
What's the answer? It's obvious we are all experiencing
great disappointment with our Bamboo Flooring. Don R (returning) Ed. note: I don't think everyone is experiencing great disappointment, Don. A public draws discontented people disproportionately. But, yes, a lot of disappointed people have related their stories here.
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