Hello I am new to the site and have found it very useful so far. Good job folks!

My questions, if I may pose more than one?

We are considering bamboo flooring for the entry landing, 5 steps upstairs, 9 steps to the basement and a small landing in the basement, as well as the hallway on the main floor and one small bedroom.

The type we saw is (made by or distributed by) Goodfellow INC. SUNDANCE UNICLIC BAMBOO, Cognac in colour... Sold by Hom_ Dep_t in Canada. I think maybe exclusive colour to the store??

1. Does anyone know if it is a good product?

2. I think the colour is stained, as I understand carbonizing only gives you orange and yellow tones? (This is brown in colour.)

3. This is a uniclic application SHOULD I nail it down?? Better results and more stable?

4. How do I do the hall? Should I center the boards so I do not end up with a full board on one side and a little strip on the other side?

5. When the floor is laid in the bedroom it will meet the floor in the hall at a 90 degree angle. Will this pose a problem for expansion and contraction??

6. There is no stair nosing availble to match. I thought of using a one half inch brass angle?

7. How much extra shoud I buy to be safe?

I know this is a lot to ask but I have to act quick to ensure that I get enough product as it may only be limited quantities at the local store.

Thank You ron3033

Here are some of your answers:

Bamboo will come in many shades when Carbonized, including brown; depending on the length of time it is kept in the kiln and amount of smoke introduced. Some manufacturers also use various chemicals to achieve deeper tones.
You cannot nail down a "uniclic" type of floor.
Most likely, the product you are purchasing is a unified length product which will make it difficult to change the direction in the door to the bedroom unless you use a t-mould (which you should anyway)

I cannot tell you how many people go to the big box stores to buy their floor, and discover too late that there are no support products available. we have at least 3-4 people a day come to us to get their trims, sometimes even being sent here by the local HD.
Naturally there is not much profit for us to be the local trim supplier, so we charge a minimum $150.00 for one piece of trim, if the customer didn't buy their floor from us. Harsh? Maybe. But when the customer then asks us for a price for their floor as a comparison, and find out that it would have been cheaper to buy from us in the first place; they begin to realize that they should have done their homework, and shopped for price and ancillary product availability before plunking down their money at the box store.

Unless there are a lot of angles and obstructions, if you are careful on the install, 5-7 percent should be sufficient for a waste factor. Consider purchasing an extra box over that amount if you can return it later. Check first, clearance items (if thats what this is) usually cannot be returned.

A metal piece at your stairwell will look atrocious. If need be, you may order a matching nosinf for that product (Sundance) from me. It will cost ya $150.00 bucks plus shipping. (lol)

Be sure to maintain a relatively constant humidity level in your home, bamboo has not proven out to be as stable as we all thought it would be when subjected to fluctuating humidity. Our company has suspended all bamboo installs because of this. (Except for one product)

d
Dennis Thank You for you quick reply. It was sure food for thought, to the point that we may just ditch the whole idea of the bamboo floor period. Just curious what is the one type of bamboo that your company still installs?

What other hardwood and brands would wear well in an application like ours? (especially stairs that go up to the main level and down to the basement) We also have use of a floor nailer my friend has as I will do the labour myself. I know the steps will be tricky but i am sure if I go carefully.

I am in northern Ontario and may be in the Toronto area this fall. If you want could you PM me you store and location?

Again thanks I will probably ask a few more questions as I learn from the pros.
ron3033

Teragren.
While this product is still manufactured in China, it is done so under the strict control of its American owners. We have found it to be of much superior quality than most other bamboo products we have encountered.
The type of wear you can expect in your application will be to the finish, not the wood so choose a top quality Canadian or American product, preferably with a low sheen finish, and you will be fine.
Are you planning on cladding the stairs with flooring material, or using treads and risers then finishing to match?
Keep in mind that there are companies out there that profess to be able to produce pre-finished stair componemts that will match the floor you select, so that is an option to consider as well.

I have voiced this opinion before. So here it goes. It is my opinion bamboo flooring is another fad flooring. These flooring fads come and go. I recall when dark v-groove plank floors were a fad ( they're back ), when white-washed ( pickled, limed, bleached, white stained ) floors were the rage, wire-brushed were in vogue, and when parquet was fashionable. My opinion is bamboo falls within the catagory of a fad. If you want a timeless floor, choose a N. American hardwood and do not stain it. If you must stain it, the keep it light ( but not white or pastel ). Red and white oak are used more than any other hardwood for good reason. They make good floors. They are attractive, reasonably priced, fairly durable, readily available and are the hardwood floor wood of choice for over 100 years. Oak can be obtained in varying grades and sizes, in quartersawn, rift sawn or plain sawn and is the most available wood flooring species. Quartersawn white oak is a favorite of mine and many flooring pros.

So I would think carefully about the flooring you choose. Do you want a timeless classic, or a floor you'll probably replace in 10 to 15 years ( or sooner ) ?

Dennis I will look for Teragren here.

Yes I plan to cover the tread and the riser on the steps.

Again thank you

ron3033

http://www.usfloorsllc.com/

They make stair treads to match the flooring. The bamboo is partially made here in GA.

I was told with the Sundance uniclic Bamboo flooring to use no nails or glue just click it together, is this true.
Of course with the usual clean and level floor prep.

Ths Sundance line sold through home Depot and wholesaled by Goodfellow is a lesson in frustration. It scratches with minimal contact, including the vacuum cleaner. Very dissappointing finish on this product, I would advise you avoid.

Any carbonized bamboo is very soft and indents easily. Not a great choice for stairs.

I agree with whoever said that bamboo flooring is a fad that may go out again. I had it in an apartment that I lived in when I was working abroad in London. It was a brand new floor, but is so soft that literally moving furniture around on it, and being very careful to not scratch, still left marks everywhere! I would be careful and really research before deciding on bamboo. good luck!