Bamboo stability and wide planks.

krycek1984

10 years ago

Its me again. We are considering both 3.75 and 5 inch wide strand woven bamboo t&g. We will be nailing it down per manufacturer instructions.

Will 5" planks be considerably more unstable and prone to cupping and warping? I've read wider planks= less dimensional stability, but not sure if this would be a big deal in this application.

If it helps, we have baseboard heat so will tend to have higher humidity in winter compared to forced heat. We don't have central air but the area where the floor is going will have ac in the summer. We are in Ohio so regardless of climate control we cannot guarantee a steady 40-60% humidity year round.

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Comments (5)

User
10 years ago
There are TONS of claims in the flooring industry over bamboo and moisture issues. I wouldn't compound it by going wide plank at all. And actually, given your site conditions, I would strongly suggest NOT choosing bamboo. Choose an engineered oak, hickory, or maple. And nothing wider than about 4".
goodbyekitty
10 years ago
I agree. I remember Holly mentioned this before. I changed my mind about bamboo also because it's sensitive to moisture. Add that to wider planks and you have a regrettable decision. My local floor vendors also warned me about that which is why I switched from solid to engineered north American wood. Unless I put in a humidifier? Not sure about that since sometimes it feels like I need a de-humidifier...

Doesn't #1 grade maple have less grain movement? That might be a great alternative.
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krycek1984
Original Author
10 years ago
Other hardwoods are not an option-we have three dogs and bamboo is the only thing that can hold up.

Why were older houses built with t&g floors all the time but now they are considered inappropriate for most situations? It's just something I've been wondering.
User
10 years ago
Is the Bamboo solid or engineered? If it's engineered, you should have no problems with nailing or the wider width.
If it's solid, you have a potential for problems from both issues.
Depending on what nailer you use, strand Bamboo has a propensity to show marks on the surface where the fastener splits the material. Google: strand bamboo nail dimples .
The cupping issue is simple physics and geometry. Nailed down floor is held down with a fastener on one side and the connection to the tongue on the other side. The expansion is very powerful. Take it to an extreme and picture nailing down a 2' wide board. If it cups, it will try to pull up the fasteners. The wider the board, the more material those fasteners have to hold down.
Both widths will move the same but on the wider the cupping is much more transparent. Google: strand bamboo cupping .
I would not nail down solid strand Bamboo for money. It's too likely to go wrong. Find an engineered strand Bamboo.
krycek1984
Original Author
10 years ago
I am going to talk to our sales rep at Ambient about the engineered.