Materials
Can a Duro-design Bamboo floor be installed as a floating floor?
DuroDesign Bamboo floors are also available in an engineered plank measuring 7-3/8" x 5/8" x 72" which is ideally suited to a floating floor installation.
Does Duro-design ever use "carbonized" bamboo for its flooring?
No, we use only natural bamboo for our stained flooring. Carbonizing bamboo softens the product by approximately 30 %. Carbonized bamboo is darker in color because it has undergone a change, not a stain. During the manufacturing of the product, the strips of bamboo are boiled and change color (becoming browner in tone and softer).
How hard is Duro-design bamboo flooring?
When tested according to the standards of the National Wood Flooring Association Test (Janka Ball Hardness Test), it shows an average hardness of 1820 PSI.
I don't like the plasticky look and the grooves that catch dust and dirt between the planks of a pre-finished floor. Does Duro-design Bamboo flooring look like a typical pre-finished floor?
Duro-design uses only square-edged planks for the clean flat look of a site-sanded floor, with the dustless convenience of a pre-finished floor. Our varnish is also specially formulated for utmost clarity, allowing our rich colors and the natural beauty of bamboo to shine through.
Is bamboo threatened by forestry just as hardwood trees are?
No. Cutting bamboo stalks will actually promote faster growth of the stumps that are left behind. Bamboo becomes mature after 4-6 years, unlike hardwoods that may take decades.
What adhesive is used in Duro-design Bamboo flooring?
The adhesive used in the lamination process has virtually no formaldehyde. It is allowed under the stringent European E1 standards.
What is bamboo flooring?
Bamboo itself is a grass which grows to over 80 feet tall in only five to six years. After harvesting, it is split and flattened, before being laminated under high pressure with an environmentally safe adhesive. The bamboo flooring planks are then treated with hydrogen peroxide to eliminate any mildew and kiln-dried to at least 8-10% moisture content.
What is the difference between "horizontal" and "vertical" Duro-design Bamboo flooring flooring?
A bamboo stalk is hollow and the walls of the plant are fairly thin. Strips of bamboo are therefore laminated together to make our 5/8" flooring. The terms "horizontal" and "vertical" refer to the orientation in which the bamboo strips are laminated together. In the horizontal style, the strips are laid flat so the top surface shows the bamboo's nodes, or 'knuckles' more prominently. In the vertical style, the strips are turned on their sides and laminated together in long, slender rows creating a different appearance.
What is the difference between Duro-design Bamboo flooring and other bamboo flooring manufacturers?
There are two big differences: 1. COLOR! We are the only company offering over 50 beautiful colors to choose from. And we are adding new colors on a regular basis. Can't quite find the right color? We'll make it for you. Whatever the color- our Duro-design bamboo flooring colors are consistently clear, vibrant and exciting. 2. Our unique FINISHING SYSTEM (see below).
What kind of varnish do you use on your pre-finished Duro-design bamboo flooring?
We use our own unique MP765 two-component water-base polyurethane system which is thick and flexible, much more durable and very easy to re-finish. It also has great transparency, giving Duro-design Bamboo flooring floors a deep, natural and vibrant look.
What warranty do you offer on Duro-design Bamboo flooring?
We offer a 25 year structural warranty for Duro-design Bamboo flooring for delamination, separation, buckling or cupping as a result of a defect of manufacturing from the date of sale. We offer a 5 year finish warranty for our pre-finished Duro-design Bamboo flooring for normal wear and tear as long as two coats of our MP765 water-base polyurethane is applied once a year for high traffic retail, once every two to three years for low to medium commercial traffic and five to seven years for residential bamboo flooring applications. This is a simple operation (i.e. light manual scuff sand with a #240 grit paper) which takes a couple of hours to do with overnight drying at a cost of less than 1.00/sq.ft. US. The bamboo flooring should be first vacuumed and then regularly cleaned with only water and a strong mop and if wanted from time to time cleaned with wood floor cleaners such as Finnitec, Polycare, Bona Kem, Basic Coatings, etc. afterwards (i.e. these products are found at all places like Home Depot or any seller of hardwood flooring). Also, one must never use waxes or oil polishes on this bamboo flooring as this is a urethane application. A well maintained bamboo flooring will last for decades. We can also provide on-site supervision to assure a perfect bamboo flooring installation.
Where can I install Duro-design Bamboo flooring flooring?
Duro-design Bamboo flooring flooring is an extremely versatile flooring product. It can be installed in virtually any room of your home, above or below ground, over wood, OSB, radiant-floor heating or existing vinyl flooring.
Why do other manufacturers use bamboo planks with bevelled-edges then?
Bevelling the edges allows a flooring manufacturer to use cheaper materials and hide the thickness variation between different planks. Duro-design uses higher-tolerance bamboo material which is more uniform in thickness, allowing us to achieve the clean flat-look of a site-sanded floor.
Why don't you use an aluminum oxide finish like other manufacturers?
Most other bamboo flooring manufacturers are using a pre-finished UV coating with an additive called aluminum oxide to give it hardness. This type of finish lacks flexibility which makes the finish easy to scratch. It is also next to impossible to re-finish successfully in the future. It also lacks transparency and has a synthetic plasticky appearance. We developed our own MP765 two-component water-base system which is keeps the bamboo's natural appearance while being thick and flexible, much more durable and very easy to re-finish.
Why should I choose Duro-design Bamboo flooring over a hardwood flooring?
There are several advantages to using Duro-design Bamboo flooring flooring compared to hardwood flooring. First, bamboo flooring is an environmentally friendly product. It takes only 5 years for a bamboo plant to grow to maturity, while it takes decades for hardwood trees. And when bamboo is harvested, the root continues to live and produces new stock. Each year, one "mother plant" generates several new bamboo stems that grow to full length in a few months, and to mature hardness in about five years. Bamboo plants are therefore quickly replenished following a harvest. Second, bamboo is actually harder than hardwood so it makes a more durable flooring. Duro-design Bamboo flooring has a completely different look than hardwood. It resembles an upscale maple and lends itself much more to modern designs. Hardwood installers and contractors need no additional training to install bamboo flooring. Bamboo can be installed using exactly the same tools and methods as are used for installing hardwood.
Will bamboo harvesting affect the environment of Giant Pandas?
No. Duro-design Bamboo flooring is produced using the fast-regenerating Mao Zhu (Phyllostachys pubescens) or "hairy bamboo" species, which often grows to fifty feet in height and two feet in circumference, is mainly found in eastern low mountain areas, and is not part of their diet, nor do they live near these areas. The 700 to 1,000 Giant Pandas living in the wild in China live mainly in western China at elevations of 3,000 to 8,000 feet.
