Bamboo flooring

[bass chick]

We just bought a new house and hate the carpet and aren't terribly fond of the laminate flooring. I want to get rid of the carpet because I think carpet is so dirty. Our last house had hardwood throughout and although I would love to have hardwood in the entire house it is just not financially feasible.
Ikea sells a bamboo flooring that has fibreboard with a 2-3mm layer of bamboo on the top. It looks nice and it's affordable and I like the idea of just being able to sweep all the dust and dirt up and my kids not playing on carpets, but I'm wondering about the fibreboard part of it and it containing toxic chemicals that I've heard are in laminate floors. Anyone have any knowledge on this?

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/40080877

TIA!

[mamaof5boys]

I personally haven't researched flooring but my acupuncturist just put new hardwoods in her house and has researched a ton. She told me that she was going to put bamboo in her house but then learned that that is one of the most toxic woods you can use. I see her tomorrow so I an ask more details. If you'd like you can PM me. HTH!

[Anastasiya]

I don't know about floors specifically, but I read that in converting bamboo to fibers (like in clothing or diapers), such caustic and awful chemicals are used that the fabric can never be labeled as organic because of it.

That info alone makes me steer clear of it. I don't know about flooring.

[zinemama]

I would avoid fiberboard like the plague.

[Jessie D]

I read that bamboo flooring scratches and dents really easily. And I need to go do some research, because I buy "organic bamboo velour" all the time for our diapers.

[Anastasiya]

Originally Posted by Jessie D

I read that bamboo flooring scratches and dents really easily. And I need to go do some research, because I buy "organic bamboo velour" all the time for our diapers.

Here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007...mboo_cloth.php

This is what I had read awhile back, and another site as well that sold bamboo clothing but stated in their FAQ that because bamboo is processed with such harsh chemicals, it isn't truly "organic" therefore they don't deceive their customers by calling it organic. What that site was, I cannot remember.

[Marni]

The chemical process used to "mash" bamboo into a fiber to create fabric is different than that used to create wood. The former is almost always toxic, the latter is eco-friendly IF you use a company that doesn't use formadehyde in its glue, doesn't harvest the bamboo when it is too young (this makes the wood softer, AND it's not as good for the planet), AND participate is fair-trade, etc. Here is an interesting article:

http://articles.directorym.ca/Is_Bam...u-a867696.html

Note the questions to ask (from said article):
"According to a recent MSN article*, there are a number of other questions that consumers should ask retailers prior to purchasing bamboo flooring. A few of these questions include: Where was the bamboo grown? (Bamboo from China is nearly always from sustainable plantations. There has been some habitat destruction with South America bamboo.) What chemicals were used in sealing and coating? Were pesticides used on the bamboo crops? Is the bamboo flooring formaldehyde-free?"

THAT SAID -- we installed bamboo floors 3 years ago, and they look pretty great, were super cheap, are easy to care for, and were relatively easy to install (we chose solid planks -- because what is the point of using engeenered or veneered bamboo -- if only 1/4 of an inch of the surface is bamboo, and the rest is pine, etc???? We went with Morningstar. AT THE TIME, I thought about the glues. But there was no info available then. It bothers me that we are using glue to make "hard wood" -- which doesn't make it anymore natural, in my book, then say, pressed wood. And what if we want to refinish them in years to come? Won't we have to peel through layers of formadehyde to do so? How healthy is THAT???

So yes -- I do now regret a bit that we went the bamboo route. Not sure I'd do it again.

If you DO still want to do bamboo though, try googling "formaldehyde-free bamboo flooring" to fine "greener" companies to supply your flooring. They are definitely out there now -- not so much when we started this process.

[bass chick]

Thanks so much for all the responses. Now I know the questions to ask. Not sure how to do that with Ikea, but I definately know I have to do some more shopping around.
Thank you all!

[audsma]

We were going to go bamboo, and then heard about the formaldehyde content too. I know that the EU has higher standards, and the latest product we found made the claim that it was of EU VOC levels rather than what we permit in the US. Ikea is European in origin so theirs should be lower in VOCs than many of the bamboo products here automatically, I expect. We still don't know what we'll do.