When choosing to install bamboo flooring in your home, there are many different options to choose from. From different styles of installation to different colors and types, you should be able to find the perfect bamboo flooring for your home. If you have chemical sensitivities, though, your options may be somewhat more limited.
When installing a bamboo floor into your home, the most popular styles are plank, tongue and groove, and floating floor. Plank floors are prefinished and will generally use a type of urea-formaldehyde type of finish. While these finishes are low-VOC, they may still bother some people with chemical sensitivities. Floating floors as well use adhesives that may contain some formaldehyde and produce off-gassing. If you have chemical sensitivities, the best option available is the tongue and groove style floor. These boards are made to click together without the use of adhesives.
Coloring bamboo floors is achieved through either a dying or heating process. Planks that are dyed can contain harmful chemicals and even heavy metals. Chemically sensitive people will want to stay away from dyed flooring materials. The other method of coloring bamboo flooring comes from a heating process. These boards are referred to as being carbonized. The carbonizing process will darken the natural color of bamboo. It will also weaken the material somewhat and may be up to ten percent less hard than non-carbonized bamboo flooring materials.
Chemically sensitive people wanting the look of strand woven bamboo will need to search for a manufacturer that uses a water based adhesive in the process. Most strand woven bamboo flooring is made using a low-VOC adhesive that contains formaldehyde. To insure that you are getting something formaldehyde free, you may need to ask for the MSDS sheet for the product.
Being chemically sensitive doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the natural beauty of bamboo in your home. It does, however, make the process of shopping for flooring a little more time consuming. When in doubt, ask the manufacturer more questions and never hesitate to ask for MSDS sheets of products you are considering.