Bamboo Flooring Problem ID and Resolution

As with any product, a bamboo flooring problem could occur.  A bamboo flooring problem may be as  a dinged plank, discovery of several blemishes or a moisture related concern. Listed is an overview as to the types of bamboo flooring problem seen by inspection companies such as The Weinheimer Group.

Bamboo Flooring Problem Identification and Resolution

Bamboo flooring problems grouped into the following categories:

Defects and Blemishes Bamboo Flooring Problem

• Visual Bamboo Flooring Problem
• Latent Bamboo Flooring Problem

Site Related Bamboo Flooring Problem

• Excessive Moisture or Relative Humidity
• Improper Maintenance or Abuse

Installation Bamboo Flooring Problem

• Failure to inspect product prior to installation
• Improper installation
• Improper installation products

Specification Bamboo Flooring Problem

• Improper selection or specification of flooring
• Improper installation or product
• Not following the proper inspection and claims procedures

Latent and Visual Defects and Blemishes

• Latent Bamboo Flooring Problems include those that become apparent only after the flooring has been installed for a period of time.
• Visual Bamboo Flooring Problems are readily visible and should be seen prior to, or at time of installation. Warranty Disclaimer found in many floor covering warranties including bamboo floors state:

Quality Control Standards

Some companies and individuals in the bamboo flooring industry are working toward them. Until these standards come to fruition, the dealer and installer must be extra aware. United States industry standards set product defect tolerance at a maximum of 5%.

• Industry-wide quality control standards do not exist for bamboo flooring. Therefore what may be a bamboo flooring problem with one manufacturer may not be considered a bamboo flooring problem with a different manufacturer.
• Not all bamboo flooring manufactured the same. This creates variations and opinions as to what the manufacturer considers a bamboo flooring problem. Some bamboo flooring is manufactured using crude hand labor methods. Other with modern precision machinery. Not all manufacturers have the same quality controls standards.
• Blemishes may be perfectly acceptable in one part of the world, considered a serious deficiency in another.
• Even from the best manufacturers flooring leaves the factory with defects that are difficult to see until the floors laid out or installed. The lighting conditions are different at every installation and different then those of the production line. Visual defects belong to the manufacturer prior to installation of the floor. The ownership of visual defects can change with its installation.
• Some bamboo flooring leaves the manufacturer with blatant visual defects. It’s obvious that the company does not have or proper follow inspection procedures.
• Some manufacturers work with the dealer and installer when defects found. Others are going to fight over a ten-dollar item.
• Manufacturers and distributors want to know about a bamboo flooring problem so that a prompt correction can be made at a reasonable cost. Once a defective floor installed it becomes much more expensive to correct or replace. The dealer and installer must follow the proper procedure for reporting a bamboo flooring problem unless they wish to own them as their own.

Dealer and Installer Protection from Visual Defects

Dealer and installer protection comes through careful inspection of the product before installation. Stopping an installation until the manufacturer is notified when a serious overall defect found. Many dealers are placing this responsibility upon the installer alone without properly informing, training and compensating. Nonetheless, any installer that installs a floor with visible defects may be inheriting another’s bamboo flooring problem.

Installer Responsibility

Too often during inspections the consumer states, “the installer pointed out the bamboo flooring problem but went ahead with the job so that a days work would not be lost”. The installer may not have lost that days work, but just might have to work many extra days in the future to pay for the replacement of the floor.

Only part of the material involved, the installer may have been able to go ahead with the installation. The dealer ordering additional material for the uninstalled defective or damaged boards. This keeps the installer from loosing a day’s work. The installer needs to save damaged or flawed material for the manufacturer of distributor should they ask for it.

The Wise Installer and Dealer

Another common statement heard from consumers: “The installer saw a bamboo flooring problem and called the dealer and the dealer instructed the installer to go ahead with the installation”. That wise installer followed the proper procedure. The problem now transferred to the dealer. The wise dealer received authorization from the manufacturer or distributor to proceed. The bamboo flooring problem now placed where it originally belonged.

• Are the strips the same thickness and width?
• Are their cavities where the adhesive has not been applied properly?

Site Related Bamboo Flooring Problem

• Excessive Moisture or Relative Humidity
• Improper Maintenance or Abuse

Typical warranty exclusions include:

• Abuse, lack of maintenance, neglect, abnormal use or misuse, negligence
• Application of solvents, corrosives or other chemicals to the flooring
• Color change, fading or damage due to exposure to the sun
• Excessive pivot and point-loads, spike-heeled shoes, unpadded furniture legs
• Water damage from maintenance, spills, leakage, uncontrolled humidity
• Excessive dryness or heat
• Damage from sand, pebbles or other abrasives
• Insect infestation after shipment from the point of origin
• Stains and finishes not applied by the manufacturer
• Improper alterations of original manufactured product
• Settlement or movement of the building structure
• Installation over un-level substrates
• Installation over radiant floor heating with a surface temperature over 85°F.
• Variations in color, grain and markings that exist in the flooring when new.
• “Acts of God” such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and floods.

Humidity: A controlled humidity is one of the most important things that the home or building owner can do to protect bamboo and wood floors. The ideal deal humidity is 30-60% and it should never be lower than 30%. This will vary some among manufacturers. As with wood, the end user should use a dehumidifier and/or a humidifier as may be required for their area.

Radiant Heat: Room temperature should not vary more than 15 degrees season to season. A home with radiant floor requires 35% – 55% humidity in all seasons.

• Concrete subfloor must have a moisture content below 3% by weight. Heat transfer plates or insulation must be in place under pipes under plywood subfloors.
• Radiant floors bust be a minimum of 1 ¼” below the surface of the concrete or a minimum or 1/8” below the bottom of plywood subfloor.
• Dents (indentations): Bamboo is very hard but it will dent. Felt pads used below chair legs. Casters used they need to be a minimum of 1 ½” wide and rubber, not plastic. Remember, a 100-pound woman in worn high heels will exert more PSI pressure on the floor than a full-grown elephant. An exposed nail head can exert a force of 8,000 PSI, which will even damage concrete.

Maintenance:

• Vacuum or sweep to remove dirt and grit prior to cleaning floors
• Soak up liquid from spills promptly
• Use area rugs in high traffic areas
• Install felt protectors on the feet or legs of furniture
• Do not use alkaline cleaning agents as they may cause color change
• No damp mop as excess water may cause cup and swell
• Do not use wax, oil soap
• Use only cleaners recommended by the manufacturer.
• Some worn areas can possibly be recoated prior to the point the floor requires sanding.

Installation Related Issues

• Failing to inspect product prior to installation.
• Improper installation of flooring
• Improper installation products
• Failing to inspect product prior to installation.

As previously stated. Manufacturer warranties do not cover materials that have been installed with visible defects or different color or quality than ordered. The only way for an installer to protect him or herself is to take the required time to check the product.

• Prior to install, have consumer check the product for style and color. Warranties on bamboo flooring do not cover variations in color or variations between samples and the installed floor. Color and style variations need to be found prior to installation.
• Color Variations: Bamboo is a grass and as with trees, variations in color naturally occur. Each carton needs to be inspected prior to installation. Color variations need to be staggered throughout the installation.
• The installer needs to check the floor for visible defects and blemishes.

Check the quality and product number for accuracy. Few if any manufacturer will pay the cost of material and labor for wrong quality or color, once installed.

Acclimation:

• The failure to properly acclimate the material is the number one installation related bamboo flooring problem. All to often the dealer and installer mistakenly believe that since the material came from a heated storage facility it will be just fine and that is not the case. Unless you are able to recreate the normal heat and humidity conditions of the installation and few will be able to do so, there is no replacement for acclimatizing at the site.
• Site acclimation does not mean placing the material in the garage and installing it from there. It also does not mean placing all of the material in the building next door or down the street and taking it to the installation, as you need it. Most flooring needs to acclimatize. Manufacturers recommendation range between 48 and 72 hours on-site. The acclimation period needs to be at the expected normal room temperature and humidity levels before and after installation. Damp or cold conditions before installation need to be avoided.

Installation Moisture and Humidity Considerations:

• Bamboo is more stable than most wood. Like wood it can be damaged when in direct content with moisture. Pretty much the same rules apply to bamboo floors as they do for wood when installing this product.
• Moisture variance between subfloor and material:
• No more than a 2% difference in moisture content should be present at the time of installation. A difference greater than this may lead to floor failure.
• Moisture Content Bamboo: Bamboo moisture content is about 6 – 8% prior to installation. This may vary slightly among manufacturers.
• Moisture Content Subfloor: A wood substrate should be no higher than 12% at the time of installation and a concrete slab no greater than 4%. This will vary among manufacturers.
• Concrete substrate must be tested for vapor emissions. A vapor retarder such as 6-mil polyethylene film on the subfloor. The polyethylene needs to be ran up the wall so that it is visible until covered by molding. Edges should be overlapped 8” and the seams taped. (These requirements will vary among manufacturers and products.)
• Ideal humidity, prior to during and following installation is 30-60%. Humidity should never be lower than 30%. These percentages will vary slightly among manufacturers. As with wood, the end user should use a dehumidifier and/or a humidifier as may be required for their area.
• At the time of installation, temperature settings should be within 15 degrees Fahrenheit of normal living conditions.
• The most commonly recommended moisture test is the Anhydrous Calcium Chloride.
• Radiant Heat: Room temperature should not vary more than 15 degrees season to season. 35% – 55% humidity is required in a home with radiant floor in all seasons.
• Concrete subfloor must have a moisture content below 3% by weight. Heat transfer plates or insulation must be in place under pipes under plywood subfloors.
• Radian floors bust be a minimum of 1 ¼” below the surface of the concrete or a minimum or 1/8” below the bottom of plywood subfloor.
• Subfloor Suitability: With all flooring products it is the responsibility of the installer/owner to determine if the subfloor and job site conditions are acceptable for the installation.
• Substrate must be level: The tolerance is usually about 3/16” in an 8 foot radial, and high spots need to be ground from the surface. Manufacturers recommendations will vary.
• Expansion space: Most products require expansion space around all walls and fixed objects. The required space ranges from ¼” t0 ¾” varying with product and manufacturer. Under some conditions additional expansion space required. Door casings and other fixed objects may require undercutting to allow for sufficient expansion space.
• Radiant Heat: Must not produce temperatures in excess of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Needs to be in operation and ran at normal living temperature for a minimum of seven (7) days prior to installation. One or two days prior to installation the unit should be turned off. At the time of installation the subfloor must be 64-68 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Specification Related Issues

• Improper selection or specification of either the flooring material or the method of installation
• Improper installation products
• Not following the proper inspection and claims procedures.
• Radiant Heat: Room temperature should not vary more than 15 degrees season to season. 35% – 55% humidity is required in a home with radiant floor in all seasons.
• Concrete subfloor must have a moisture content below 3% by weight. Heat transfer plates or insulation must be in place under pipes under plywood subfloors.
• Radian floors bust be a minimum of 1 ¼” below the surface of the concrete or a minimum or 1/8” below the bottom of plywood subfloor.
• In future pages and chapters we will discuss identification of visual defects and installation problems. We will also suggest ways to correct a bamboo flooring problem to the consumer’s satisfaction.
• Identifying the hard side of the culm: Bamboo stalk also known, as culm is harder on the outside than on the inside. A higher concentration of vascular bundles, or capillaries, along with the associated silicate deposits, on the outside of the culm is responsible for this phenomenon. Each strip cut from the culm and used in flooring is harder on one side than on the other. Looking at an end cut of a strip and noting the much higher concentration of the “dots” or capillaries that are found on the hard side can often identify the hard side.
• Bend or Curl: As with strips or planks cut from a tree, the bamboo strips want to bend or curl in a predictable direction. The bending or flex force is very powerful. During manufacturing it is critical that the forces associated with these natural flex tendencies be directionally balanced with each bamboo flooring board.
• Peeling of Finish: Over Bleaching: Natural colored boards may have a very bleached uniform color. All strips are subjected to bleaching with strong oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide to suppress color variations and organic mater. Excessive bleaching can soften the flooring and leave a residual oxidizing agent that can react with the finish and produce peeling of the finish.

Formaldehyde Specification Issue

Formaldehyde in product adhesive: Two adhesives commonly used in the wood-laminates (plywood, particle board, flooring). Both “out gas”, or give off, low levels of formaldehyde from the final product. Formaldehyde is a low molecular weight material that is a gas at room temperature and pressure. As a result, it will vaporize to a small degree under normal living conditions.

1. Adhesive based on urea formaldehyde (UF) resin.
2. Adhesive based of phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin.

Formaldehyde is both a naturally occurring chemical and an industrial chemical (formaldehyde is synthesized by the catalytic oxidation of methanol). In addition to its industrial use in fiber board, it is found in:

• Dry cleaning chemicals
• Paper products
• No-iron fabrics, Diapers, Pillow cases
• Cosmetics
• Paints
• Cigarette smoke
• Exhaust from automobiles, gas appliances, fireplaces and wood burning stoves.
• Also occurs naturally in forest and is a necessary metabolite in human cell chemistry.

As a rule, adhesives formulated with PF give of slightly less formaldehyde than resins formulated with UF. PF rein has very good resistance to water making it the resin of choice of out door applications. The resin of PF is very dark brown to black in color and not suitable for indoor use where an invisible glue line is preferred. Over 95% of interior-use hardwood plywood is manufactured using a urea-formaldehyde or UF adhesive. All bamboo hardwood-flooring manufacturers are presently using UF based adhesives.

Emissions Limits

Today’s hardwood plywood products emit 60-90% less formaldehyde than products manufactured in the early to mid 1980’s.

Safe formaldehyde emissions limits from wood products are mandated in the United States. This standard, developed in 1985 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is 0.2 parts per million (ppm) as measured by the “large-chamber” test method.

In November 1987, OSHA proposed that the occupational standard for formaldehyde exposure be reduced from 3 parts per million (ppm) to 1 ppm, averaged over and 8-hour workday; this proposal became law the following month. In May of 1992 the law was amended and the formaldehyde exposure limit was reduced to 0.75 ppm. (Information is available form the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Public Affairs Office, Room N3647, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW. Washington, DC 20210. You may also contact the Public Affairs Office by calling 202-693-1999.)

Conversion to Parts Per Million by Volume:

• The conversions from “0.02 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter of air” to “ppmv (parts per million by volume).” Converting at a molecular weight of formaldehyde, which is 30.03, the following calculations are made.
• At an ambient air pressure of 1 atmosphere and a temperature of 60 degrees F (15.56 degrees C), 0.02 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter of air = 0.0149 ppmv
• Ambient air pressure of 1 atmosphere and a temperature of 70 degrees F (21.11 degrees C), 0.02 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter of air = 0.0152 ppmv
• At an ambient air pressure of 1 atmosphere and a temperature of 80 degrees F (26.87 degrees C), 0.02 mg of formaldehyde per cubic meter of air = 0.0155 ppmv