Eco Friendly Flooring

Bamboo flooring is Eco-friendly, elegant, and durable.

Bamboo flooring is unquestionably a unique form of flooring, and one that many people still have not heard about.

First, a little background information on bamboo: Bamboo is technically a grass product, not wood. It is very environmental friendly, as it fully matures in three to six years, does not require replanting, and requires no harmful fertilizers or pesticides in its production. Bamboo has been used for construction for many thousands of years, and is still used in many cities.

Aside from being environmentally friendly, bamboo flooring is also very beautiful. Most bamboo floors have a glowing honey finish. They are available in over 30 different colors and finishes. Bamboo wood flooring is also more durable than many other types of flooring, including carpet, vinyl, or veneer flooring. They can be re-surfaced and re-sealed at any time in the future, if damaged or aged, to restore to their original glory.

Bamboo flooring is treated to resist both insects and fire. Also, bamboo flooring is harder than most Australian hardwoods and much more stabile.

Bamboo Flooring will be perfect for your home.

Whether you want new flooring for your home, office, or anywhere in between, bamboo flooring is the answer. Relatively easy to install and maintain, it is hard to see why more people dont already have bamboo flooring. If your home has small kids running around, rest assured that bamboo flooring will resist any normal household stains, and is easy to clean.

If you want a floor that is inexpensive, elegant, and easy to clean and environmentally friendly, then wait no more – buy a bamboo floor.

Hardwood Bamboo Flooring

Hardwood Bamboo Flooring makes Quality Flooring Material

Bamboo is one of the most versatile plants which has been used in Asian culture for millennia. It has long been used for just about everything from food and medicine to tools and housing. With modern technology, bamboo has experienced a renewed revolution. Zhejiang Province, the wealthiest province in China, owes much of its wealth to the renewed utilisation of its bamboo resources – forests of bamboo which have been growing in this region for hundreds of years. Anji County, in Zhejiang, is the capital of bamboo in the world. It has over 70 large, modern, state-of-the-art equipped bamboo factories employing highly skilled, educated workers.

What Makes Bamboo Special?

Bamboo is one of the strongest, longest and straightest natural fibres and has a tensile strength approaching that of mild steel, (at a fraction of its weight). It is also very fast growing, requires no pesticides and can be selectively harvested annually, with indefinite yields far in excess of normal forests. With worldwide forest resources depleting, bamboo is already widely recognized as the sustainable (and in most cases superior) alternative. Bamboo products have been developed with results that are nothing short of staggering to laypersons.

Floor boards and timber obviously cannot be sawn from bamboo in the usual fashion. Two main ways are used to effectively use this amazing resource as timber.

Top quality: Fibrestrand Woven Bamboo Flooring

Adapting technology developed in South Australia in the nineties, bamboo is crushed and broken down to long fibres, a bit like straw. These are then coated with the most modern German resins and pressed together under heat with 2800kg of pressure per square centimetre to produce a block. This is then sawn into boards, machined to form tongue-and-grooves or the interlocking “Click System” sides, and coated with a superior German “KLUMMP” polyurethane film finish. The finish is the most scratch-resistant, long-lasting, pre-finished floor with high impact resistance and hardness superior to most hardwood floors. Two colours in the fibrestrand woven bamboo flooring range are available, “natural” and “coffee” (or carbonised). Carbonising is done by controlled heating of the fibres (not unlike baking bread in an oven) before coating with resin and pressing. Carbonising increases the hardness slightly without affecting strength.

The cheaper option: Regular Laminated Bamboo Flooring

The bamboo culms are split and accurately machined into “slats” of uniform width and thickness (generally about 20mm x 5mm). These slats are then laminated together, using the highest quality German resins, to build timber (a little like conventional, structural beams and bearers are made from strips of conventional timber). This lamination can be done laying the slats horizontally or vertically, giving rise to the terms “horizontal” and “vertical” bamboo flooring. Boards are machined to form tongue and grooves and coated with high quality finish. Hardness and wearability compare very favourably with the best quality hardwoods and the aesthetic appeal is pleasing and special. Regular Laminated Bamboo Flooring is available in a very blonde “natural” or more honey-coloured, carbonised, “coffee”.

Quality, Style and Eco-Friendly

Due to its superior quality, style and eco-sustainability, Bamboo Flooring has become a leading choice for discerning home owners. It is beautiful, durable, easy to care for and eco-friendly. You choose !

About Bamboo Refined

Bamboo Refined – Flooring with Pride

Chris Kath has become the acknowledged authority for bamboo flooring in the Gympie region. Chris grew up around Gympie, attended Gympie State High School, then went to university in Armidale, NSW. He has been involved in farming and business, both in Australia as well as in Germany. Before becoming involved with bamboo products, he owned, established and operated Kybong Landscape Supplies. When he started with bamboo products, in 2005, bamboo flooring was still a rather new, unfamiliar product. Since then it has become increasingly well known for its attractiveness, hardness and wearability. An ever-increasing number of homeowners are enjoying the luxury and benefits of living on a bamboo floor.

Chris Kath of Bamboo Refined Refined for Bamboo Flooring in the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay region.

For a couple of years Chris focused his main attention on establishing and fine-tuning a separate business, Bamboo Textiles Australia Pty Ltd – having high-quality bamboo socks and towels manufactured and introducing these to the Australian market. This business is now operating successfully, Chris has handed over the reins, and he is now giving the bamboo flooring his full attention. A new warehouse and premises at Dagun, a new specially out-fitted van for installing, extra staff and a renewed attention to the relationship with his supplier in China – the primary accredited producer.

Bamboo Refined imports, supplies and installs – servicing wholesale as well as retail clients from the Gold Coast to north of Bundaberg. This Gympie-based business will look after your new bamboo flooring needs professionally and cost-effectively. Straight from the local importer to you.

Although there are quite a variety of different bamboo flooring types, Bamboo Refined only sells and installs the high quality, solid, bamboo flooring with a thickness of 15mm. These floors, which are overlaid onto concrete or any timber or sheeting sub-floor, feel wonderful underfoot and are long lasting and scratch-resistant. They can be installed into your new home or onto your existing floor – maybe to replace a tired-looking old floorcovering?

A bamboo floor makeover will add value to your home as well as add comfort, ease-of-care and luxury to your life.

Introduction To Bamboo Flooring

An Introduction To Bamboo Flooring

A little known fact: bamboo is technically not a tree at all, but a grass that includes over 1,000 species. Bamboo naturally grows back, and it reaches maturity in only four to five years. These qualities make bamboo an excellent, forest-friendly source of timber, fibre and wood for flooring.

Bamboo flooring is relatively new to Australia but there are already several importers. Almost all bamboo imported to Australia, Canada and the United States is grown and manufactured in China although it can be found in all of Southeast Asia.

Bamboo flooring is durable, and has a warmth and beauty that makes it especially desirable for flooring. Although there are many species of bamboo, only some are suitable for making flooring. Moso, for instance, is a common choice that reaches 40-50 feet high after just one year of growth. In another three years, the reeds are mature enough for harvesting. After harvesting, the bamboo is dried in the sun before being processed.

To make laminated bamboo flooring it is then cut into strips that are shaped and planed. From these strips, bamboo flooring is made through a process of bonding and laminating. The two main colors available for bamboo flooring are natural (a light woody color), and carbonized (an amber shade). There are also other color variations, some including a staining process.

To make fibrestrand woven bamboo flooring the bamboo is shredded lengthways, after complete drying and carbonizing, if required (a bit like straw – the long fibres are retained). This is then coated with special high quality resins and pressed into large moulds under tremendous pressure until the resin hardens. Once set, the blocks are removed from the moulds and cut and trimmed into tongue and groove floor boards. These are then sealed and coated with German “KLUMPP” finish which is set under underviolet light in perfect factory conditions.

Bamboo flooring has many remarkable qualities that make it equal to or better than any other wood flooring options. It is harder than almost any other natural wood, with superb wearability characteristics. Maintenance for bamboo flooring is no different than for other wood floors — frequent sweeping or vacuuming, spray cleaners, and occasionally mopping. Environmentally, the impact on world forests could be dramatically lessened if bamboo were more widely used.

When considering bamboo flooring, it is important to know that not all bamboo is equal. Nor is all bamboo processing equal. Some discount or wholesale companies are already selling immaturely cut bamboo for bamboo flooring. The result is low-quality, cheap bamboo flooring that will not last. Timing is also important in processing bamboo. If it is not treated within three days after it has been cut, the bamboo can easily mold, making the resulting flooring look bland and dull.

Be sure to confirm that the wholesaler you deal with is knowledgeable and can assure that their bamboo and processing methods are of high quality.

Bamboo Flooring FAQ

FAQ – Bamboo Flooring Installation

Q1: Is Bamboo flooring installed similarly to a hardwood floor?

Yes, it can be. Bamboo flooring installation is the same, and any hardwood flooring installer can install it. Our Bamboo flooring is pre-finished, so there is no dust, mess or fumes, whatsoever. The preferred method of installation, however, is the “floating” method, where the flooring is set freely over a sub-floor. (See instructions for installation).

Q2: Can I glue Bamboo flooring directly to concrete?

If moisture conditions are acceptable, Bamboo flooring can be glued directly to a clean, dry concrete slab with a one-part urethane moisture-cure adhesive (i.e. ULTRASET Polyurethane Flooring Adhesive)

Note: We do not recommend direct gluing unless there is a reason why it should not be floated. Please contact us before doing so

Q3: Can I nail down Bamboo flooring over a particleboard subfloor?

Many confuse particleboard with OSB (Oriented Stand board). Particleboard commonly used in some manufactured homes does not have enough holding power and will loosen over time. There are many types of OSB that can be used for solid nail down Bamboo flooring and hardwood floors. It is best to consult the manufacturers warranty specs. Nailing is not generally the preferred method.

Q4. Can I install Bamboo flooring in a bathroom?

Bamboo flooring can be installed in a bathroom- but care must be taken to avoid standing water. Like almost any flooring, Bamboo flooring could be damaged if excessive water is left to stand for an extended period of time. To cut all risks we would recommend adding two extra coats of MP765 water-base polyurethane after Bamboo flooring installation to penetrate and extensively seal all the joints in the floor.

Q5. What are the different Bamboo mouldings and how are they applied?

The Quarter Round moulding is used to hide the expansion gap at the base of perimeter walls left during Bamboo flooring installation.

The “T” moulding is used as a threshold in doorways or as a transition strip where the Bamboo flooring meets tile or carpet of similar height.

The Reducer moulding is used as a transition from the height of the Bamboo flooring down to the height of much thinner floor.

The Stair nosing moulding is used to cover the front edge of a stair tread or step. If used on a stair, Bamboo flooring is installed behind the Starinose to cover the horizontal part (the tread) of the stair.

We generally use molded aluminium strips for transitions and expansion joints as these tend to be neater.