BAMBOO COLLECTION

All Ecodure Bamboo Flooring is much, much harder than any NZ native timber and almost all exotic species. Compressed Bamboo (sometimes described as Strand Woven) is 73% harder than Jarrah, which is a species prized for its strength and dent resistance. Most timber floors will dent over time, but with Compressed Bamboo you can even wear your favourite heels with confidence.

Vertical Bamboo while comparing very favourably to native timbers, has a medium hardness ranking, about the same as Oak flooring. Please refer to the section on Durability where a hardness graph will clarify hardness levels of varies species compared to Bamboo.

The benefits of an Ecodure Bamboo Floor are:

With the correct care and maintenance a floor should last for many years. As Compressed Bamboo is so dent resistant, it's unlikely it will need sanding to remove unsightly dents, as is often the case with other species. If sanding is needed, there is plenty of thickness in all boards for several sandings. After many years of supplying Bamboo Floors, none have needed to be re-coated because of wearing. Both plank and coating have a warranty. For full care and maintenance details please refer to our Bamboo Maintenance Guide on the Additional Information download link.

Yes, no problem, we have stair nosings to match all our flooring. These are glued down along with the floor boards to make beautiful stairs. We have a small stocked range of handrails, and can also custom manufacture solid stair treads for exposed stair cases. For details of accessories available, please refer to our Bamboo Accessory Guide on the Additional Information download link.

A floating floor is one that is clicked together with the UNICLIC System and laid over a special underlay, much like carpet. This method is quick, with little disruption - it can be walked on instantly. A floating floor is also cost effective as underlay is cheaper than adhesive. There's no need to move out while the floor is installed as is often necessary with a glued floor, which must be allowed to cure before being walked on. The floating floor is held around the edges by the skirting boards, kitchen cabinets or aluminium trims. It might be better described as a gravity floor as the weight and mass of the floor material gives it a solid feel underfoot, not dissimilar to a glued floor.

As our solid Bamboo floors boast an impressive 14mm thick boards, our Bamboo Floating Floors feel solid underfoot, unlike the 6mm -10mm laminates, which do have a much more lightweight feel when walked on. As environmental conditions vary throughout the year, the floor continually adjusts, this natural expansion and contraction is covered by the expansion allowed at the perimeters. This won't be seen as this is covered by your skirtings and trims. Both Engineered and Solid Compressed Bamboo are installed by the floating method, however our 135mm wide solid Compressed Bamboo is not suitable for glued down floors, only the 135mm Engineered Bamboo boards can be glued down. For more details please view Taking the Mystery out of a Floating Floor in our Additional Information download link.

The Klumpp finish is UV resistant, but it's possible that colour may change over time, due to the amount of UV in the NZ environment. Unlike old-fashioned solvent- based coatings which can darken or turn yellow almost immediately, waterbased polyurethanes are a huge advance;  however the usual common sense precautions we take against our harsh sun should apply. In areas exposed to direct sunlight, like with any other wood, carpet or tiled flooring;  UV protection to the windows, curtains or blinds are recommended and also to avoid placing rugs, pot plants, etc on the floor as these will leave obvious marks when removed. If there is a colour change it is minimised visually, by allowing the floor an equal and even gradual change.

Our flooring has been tested for slip resistance (dry test) and meets this standard.

All our Bamboo is sourced from China, from FSC Approved Plantations. Bamboo is neither a softwood nor a hardwood,  but rather a member of the botanical family of grasses. The species is Phyllostachys Pubescens, commonly named Mao or Moso Bamboo, this particular species of Bamboo also Panda Friendly, as Pandas do not eat Moso Bamboo. Bamboo grows extremely well in South East China, often on land which is of poor quality and uneconomic for other uses.

Our Bamboo comes from fully renewable FSC Approved Plantations, where it is selectively harvested on a 5 - 6 year cycle. In fact Bamboo can grow to full height in as little as 6 or 7 weeks after harvest, but then it must be left to mature properly before it is used for flooring. Once cut, the culm will regrow from the base, just like any grass. Timber from trees on the other hand can take from 30 -70 years or even more to reach maturity and once felled the tree is gone forever. Bamboo is considered a top environmental choice by Architects who are designing Green Buildings and we have been involved in Greenstar and FSC certified projects over the years.

Research has shown that compared to trees and other plants, Bamboo is much more efficient at sequestering atmospheric CO2, which is good news for climate change.

Yes, a hard floor like Bamboo is very easy to keep dust free and thus ideal for people who suffer from dust or pet allergies. The tight UNICLIC WaxPro coated joins mean there is little chance of dust mites or pet dander gathering. A regular swish with a microfibre dust mop, whilst lightly misting with a spray bottle of water as you clean, will keep dust levels very low. You can also clean without chemicals or detergents and this combined with the low VOCs will give excellent indoor air quality.

With a floating floor, the carcasses of the kitchen units should be installed before the floor. Leave fitting of the toe-kicks, end panels which meet the floor and waterfall bench tops until after the floor has been installed.

With a glued down floor, the floor can be installed before the cabinets, however take care to protect the floor from tradespeople in the installation period. For full details, please refer to our Kitchen Floor Installation Guide on the Additional Information download link.

A glued floor is permanently fixed to the substrate with a specialised flexible adhesive. This must be left to cure properly before the floor can be walked on. A floating floor uses the gravity or mass weight of the product along with perimeter trims to hold it in place. Floating floors also use a special underlay which is crush-proof, providing comfort cushioning, acoustic and moisture management, as well as being an excellent draught excluder!

A floating floor is very slightly softer to walk on, while a glue down floor is subtly firmer. Not all installation situations or products are suitable for a glue down floor, while a floating floor can always be installed regardless of circumstances. For more detailed advice on installation please go to our additional information download page and download the guide for either Installation on Concrete or Installation on Timber Substrate as well as Taking the Mystery out of Floating Floors. For specifiers and architects we have a more detailed specification, available on request.

The effectiveness of underfloor heating will be greatly reduced by the density and poor conductive properties of timber flooring. We think on balance it is better not to have underfloor heating. We do have further advice on this, please either contact us for advice or download Underfloor Heating Specification on our additional information downloads page.

The edge of the floors need an even expansion allowance. There is no hard and fast rule for this - the bigger the floor the bigger the allowance. This can be provided under the skirtings and gib board and under kitchen cabinetry. Around doors and floor to ceiling windows an aluminIum trim is used which neatens the edge and covers any expansion or shrinkage.

The best procedure is to remove skirting boards and leave them off until the floor is down, this enables the perimeter to be seen. If this is not possible, skirtings and architraves will need to be under-cut with a special saw. Where floors adjoin carpet or tiles special trims are available from flooring suppliers.