By Sam Ferris
Photo courtesy of MohawkFlooring.com
So you want bamboo wood floors for your living room. Or kitchen. Or bedroom. We get it. They?re beautiful, stylish and pretty affordable compared to other hardwood floors. Here?s the thing: bamboo floors aren?t an ideal choice for humid climates.
There?s some type of subconscious forbidden fruit complex going on with Corpus Christi buyers, because so many of our customers ask about installing bamboo floors in their home. We?re not sure why it?s so popular in Corpus Christi. Maybe bamboo hardwood?s Zen effect fits perfectly with the community?s island vibes. Regardless, our response is always the same: think twice about it.
It?s pretty simple why we discourage customers from installing bamboo hardwood floors. Like with other hardwood, you can?t expose bamboo floors to moisture. That?s exactly what you?re doing in the South Texas climate. Constantly. When bamboo floors are exposed to humidity over a long period of time, they can swell due to moisture absorption. Once this occurs, bamboo floors are susceptible to cracks and fissures. That?s not good news.
If you?re dead set on bamboo hardwood, there are precautions you can take to minimize the risk of cracks due to humidity. You?ll definitely want to let your bamboo properly acclimate before it?s installed (it normally takes three to seven days), as well as test its moisture content. You can also monitor the humidity in your home with certain devices. Read more about these methods?here.
Just to be clear, we ask our customers only to reconsider buying bamboo floors. The above scenario is something that?could?happen, not something that will?necessarily?happen. It?s all about protecting your investment and knowing the risks. In fact, several of our clients who live either on the Island or close to the coast have had bamboo floors for an extended period of time. One client even has bamboo floors in her bathrooms. Aside from looking beautiful, they?ve had zero issues. We?re not scientists, but this may be due to the fact that the sand absorbs the bulk of the moisture as opposed to the house?s foundation.
In a few words: think about it. Know the causes for concern and then decide if bamboo will work best in your home. If you have more questions about bamboo floors, tweet us!
There?s some type of subconscious forbidden fruit complex going on with Corpus Christi buyers, because so many of our customers ask about installing bamboo floors in their home. We?re not sure why it?s so popular in Corpus Christi. Maybe bamboo hardwood?s Zen effect fits perfectly with the community?s island vibes. Regardless, our response is always the same: think twice about it.
It?s pretty simple why we discourage customers from installing bamboo hardwood floors. Like with other hardwood, you can?t expose bamboo floors to moisture. That?s exactly what you?re doing in the South Texas climate. Constantly. When bamboo floors are exposed to humidity over a long period of time, they can swell due to moisture absorption. Once this occurs, bamboo floors are susceptible to cracks and fissures. That?s not good news.
If you?re dead set on bamboo hardwood, there are precautions you can take to minimize the risk of cracks due to humidity. You?ll definitely want to let your bamboo properly acclimate before it?s installed (it normally takes three to seven days), as well as test its moisture content. You can also monitor the humidity in your home with certain devices. Read more about these methods?here.
Just to be clear, we ask our customers only to reconsider buying bamboo floors. The above scenario is something that?could?happen, not something that will?necessarily?happen. It?s all about protecting your investment and knowing the risks. In fact, several of our clients who live either on the Island or close to the coast have had bamboo floors for an extended period of time. One client even has bamboo floors in her bathrooms. Aside from looking beautiful, they?ve had zero issues. We?re not scientists, but this may be due to the fact that the sand absorbs the bulk of the moisture as opposed to the house?s foundation.
In a few words: think about it. Know the causes for concern and then decide if bamboo will work best in your home. If you have more questions about bamboo floors, tweet us!
