Moisture Related Flooring Failures with Bamboo
While bamboo is often marketed as durable and sustainable, it is highly sensitive to moisture due to its natural fiber structure. Bamboo flooring moisture problems are one of the most common reasons bamboo floors fail prematurely.
Why Bamboo Reacts to Moisture
Bamboo is a grass, not a hardwood. Its structure absorbs and releases moisture more aggressively, causing dimensional movement.
When installing a new floor in wet areas such as a kitchen or bath or over a concrete substrate, there is a potential for moisture-related flooring failures. For wet areas, bamboo can be a good choice, though it is not problem-free.
If you don’t like the look of bamboo and want the natural wood look, you can have it with a quality engineered wood floor.
Common Moisture Issues
- Cupping and crowning
- Warping and buckling
- Gaps between planks
- Mold growth and odors
Water exposure from spills, leaks, or humidity can cause swelling, staining, and structural damage.
Signs of Moisture Damage
- Raised edges (cupping)
- Soft or spongy areas
- Discoloration or dark spots
- Musty smell
How Stable is Bamboo in Wet Areas?
Bamboo and engineered wood flooring is more stable than solid wood over concrete or in the bathroom or kitchen. With fewer moisture related flooring failures you will be happier in the long run.
With bamboo flooring, moisture-related flooring failures are most frequently site-related.
Often, a moisture problem is caused by conditions such as:
- Water under the structure
- Leaking pipe
- Excessively wet concrete.
- Too much moisture in the structural components of a building at the time the floor was installed.
- Improper maintenance
Temperature and Relative Humidity
Moisture-related flooring failures are not only the result of too much moisture; too little moisture will result in shrinkage and failure. When temperature and relative humidity are not controlled, excessive moisture and excessive drying can take place, which will result in moisture-related flooring failures.
Maintenance Issues
The major component in many cleaning chemicals is water. Water can have a detrimental effect on bamboo floors. Bamboo is a grass, and as with wood, it is a hygroscopic material, which means it can attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment.
When wood and bamboo are exposed to air, they tend to either dry or gain moisture. The loss or gain in moisture will continue until the material is in equilibrium with the humidity and air temperature.
- If too much moisture is gained the bamboo or wood will swell.
- If too much moisture is lost, it will shrink.
Tips for Prevention of Moisture Related Concerns
- Maintain humidity between 35%–55%
- Use moisture barriers over concrete
- Clean spills immediately
Dimensional Stability of Bamboo
Bamboo is dimensional stable at its saturation point of about 25–30% moisture content. Below this point it begins to shrink until it reaches 0%. As it starts to gain in moisture it expands until it reaches the saturation point again. Once back at the saturation point of 25-30% it again stabilizes.
When bamboo flooring is manufactured it is kiln dried to an average of 8-10%. Bamboo when made into a floor is dried significantly below the saturation point. Once at this point the flooring is expected to stabilize with the environment in which it is installed. Since the floor still has a natural tendency to gain or loose moisture, it is imperative that the environment be maintained at a suitable level.
Bamboo flooring by its nature has greater dimensional stability and less expansion and contraction than traditional wood floors. This stability is further enhanced by its constructional lay up.
Bamboo and Engineered Wood Compared
With engineered flooring the expansion will also be significantly less than with solid wood. The reason for this is that alternating layers of the laminate are prepared to run in opposite directions. Since they are not all running in the same direction they have a natural tendency to pull against one another. Being cross directional helps the engineered flooring to maintain stability.
While the bamboo and engineered floor is more stable in this respect, equilibrium moisture content still remains critical. The moisture content of wood and bamboo that is in storage or installed at a point below its fiber saturation point has a natural tendency to fluctuate. This fluctuation is a result of changes in the relative humidity and air temperature within the environment in which the material is stored or installed.
Bamboo flooring and engineered flooring are your better choices for bathrooms, kitchens and over concrete as they are more stable for these areas than a solid wood floor.
👉 For a full breakdown, see our Bamboo Flooring Issues Guide
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