Bamboo | HOME IMPR0VEMENT CONTRACTORS

July 2010
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Floating bamboo floor

Teragren Fine Bamboo Flooring has just introduced Portfolio, a brand-new line of prefinished floating floors that snap together without glue, nails, staples or any other fasteners, as shown below. The bamboo planks rest on a thin foam underlayment and aren't fastened down in any manner. That translates to fast, clean, no-fuss installation in hours, not days. The Portfolio collection comes in 10 designer colors, and features planks measuring 1/2 inch thick x 5 inch wide x 72 1/2 inch long. However, what I found most interesting is that the flooring is milled from strand bamboo, not laminated bamboo strips. The result is a fine-grain, rock-hard floor that's an astonishingly 154 percent harder than red oak. Floors in the Portfolio collection run about $9 per square foot.

Bamboo bonus: Beyond flooring

As you're probably aware, bamboo flooring has gained widespread acceptance as an attractive, durable, and more-sustainable alternative to hardwood. Most manufacturers grow bamboo on plantations, which helps reduce forest logging. And because bamboo is a fast-growing grass--not wood--it can be harvested in as little as four years. What you may not realize, however, is that flooring isn't the only use for bamboo.