Bamboo floors

[M&J Siegford]

Has anyone put in the bamboo hardwood floors in their AS? We want to put it in the front living area. We've looked into different brands and apparently you can get some that glue down and some that need to be nailed down. They seem similiar to real hardwood floors. I thought I had read somewhere in the forums about the pro's and con's of putting down this type flooring for reasons such as weight and flexibility of the floor but I can't seem to find it anymore. Does anyone have any insight into this?

[87MH]

Do a search on "Pergo" or "Cork".

THe great thing about the AS's is that they are so small, just about anything will work!

If it doesn't, it takes no time at all to install an updated version!

[M&J Siegford]

We put down pergo in the back bedroom - I did all my research for that project right here on the forums! Everyone LOVES pergo!
But for this project, I think the bamboo will be heavier and will likely need to be nailed down like real hardwood floors - anything I should be worried about?

Thanks!
Maggie

[nevisstudio]

hey. we were also looking into bamboo floors for a couple of months now. i am not sure what rich found out, but i will let you know. if i am not mistaken, i did not think the weight issue was huge. bamboo is just more expensive and so people usually go with the pergo. as far as nailing or gluing down, i thought we were coming up with a way to float the panels, but i was not in on the last conversation with our flooring buddy, so i''ll find out and post again later. my mom has bamboo in her house in florida and it is a great look, cooler than pergo. (sorry pergo lovers)
cheryl

[M&J Siegford]

Hi Cheryl

Yes, the bamboo is just cooler! Since we are just doing a small section the price won't be that bad. I should probably already know this, but what do you mean by "floating"?

Thanks!
Maggie

[nevisstudio]

i talked with rich via phone and he said to check out the thread titled "hardwood flooring".

floating allows a gap around the entire perimeter of the flooring allowing the floor to move as the airstream travels down the road. so there are no rigid attachments. unfortunately, he said you can not float bamboo, but you can float a subfloor and attach the bamboo to that. that is all i know right now. i'll keep you posted.

cheryl

[silver suz]

from my research, you can install a "floating bamboo floor. each board locks into the other and it isnt attached to the floor- this allows for flex or seasonal stretching. The magazine "Healty Home" has a lot of ads for these floorings.
by the way, Healthy Home is going to do an article on how to "Green" your rv in the July/Aug issue, for healthier living.. (I asked them to, but it will be too late for me) silver suz

[M&J Siegford]

Thanks Silver Suz! What do you mean by "green"? I will definitly check out that magazine.

Maggie

[ALANSD]

have you looked at www.ifloor.com or diy.com? They have info and sell bamboo. It does look good, however the floating floors are easier to install. They fit together and require no glue or nails to hold them down. I am holding out for cork as I like the look , durability and the sound cushioning value.
The above mentioned web sites also tell you how to install.

[gregg]

remember with bamboo, you will be sanding and finishing after installation. If you're prepared for that, they're beautiful.

[Pahaska]

Originally posted by gregg
remember with bamboo, you will be sanding and finishing after installation. If you're prepared for that, they're beautiful.

I just got finished looking at prefinished bamboo flooring at HD about an hour ago. It had exactly the same finish as the more usual hardwood planks. I'm torn between it and cork this time around.

[silver suz]

there are several definitions to Green living. One emphasizes that the product is renewable that the finishes are not toxic, the wastes are not toxic and it isnt toxic to humans. Bamboo grows at a phenominal rate , can be cut down and regrows fast. thus it is a great substitute for old growth wood floors. Cork floor are made from the cork after bottle corks are cut out, therefore using a waste product that's sustainable.
the wood that you get from many lumber stores thats got a slight green tinge is to be avoided like the plague. Actually they are not allowed to make this type of preservative which contains so much arsnic that raised beds in contact with the soil will give appreciable amounts of arsnic uptake to the veges such as lettuce. Kids playing on play areas of that type of wood stand a good risk of geting arsnic poisoning. (if you have this wood in decks or play equiptment, seal it with something good. The wood is no longer allowed to be made but all the quantities of cca wood left around can be sold. let the buyer beware.

My definition is much more limited. I cannot tolerate plywood bcause of the toxic glue used between the layers. My house is made of steel beams and metal windows. any wood cabnets are solid oak and were sealed inside and out with a tolerated sealer and aired out before being installed in the house. AFM paints are non toxic- no volitile odors steel and brick house means no termite poisoning needed. I tolerate only cotton silk and linen. and do not tolerate any kind of perfume. For instance when the guys come home from work and school they need to channge clothes as I cannot tolerate the perfumes picked up in the other environments. (High school is DEADLY for perfumes). must go for now anyway the natural home magazine has a lot of good ideas on how to make a less toxic more healthy house or trailer. suz

[gregg]

hi john- I didn't know the bamboo came pre-finished. three years ago we had about 100 sq ft left over on a job-real cheap-I didn't want to go through the hassle even though the bamboo is the only floor change-out I ever considered--it's beautiful. Well today I got new info and I think I'll go ahead with my bamboo project..after my current task-polishing-stripped cc yesterday.
Back to the topic. I vote for bamboo.

[M&J Siegford]

Hey everyone! I just wanted to update you about the bamboo floors. That handy Husband of mine installed the whole thing himself. This is the only pic I have at the moment - I will post a better one soon. It looks awesome - highly recommend!

Maggie

[M&J Siegford]

Just love it!

[dbaverb]

Floor looks good. In the last picture, I see the wood folding chairs I am looking for my trailer. Where did you find them?

[M&J Siegford]

thanks! we got the chairs at IKEA - they fold up too.

[jaco]

Maggie you all's trailer looks great. Give us more detail on where the bamboo was bought and brand name and etc.

Also what is story of the blue end dome and blue walls in your trailer? Is there a write up about that?

On a actually not related subject anyone still use a Bamboo Steamer? Havent seen an infomercial on those in along time. Loved mine years ago til it burned up.

going to IKEA tomorrow myself, great place to spend a half a day. Everyone with a Airstream ought to have one of their catalogs. But I am thinking they do not do mail order.
Not sure they will mail catalog out of their market area, but they do have cards to fill out for catalog mailout. In store they will give you a catalog or 2.
Read somewhere that their founder is worlds richest man followed closely by Millionairstream, the New Kid 64, Bill Gates, and Inland Andy .

[M&J Siegford]

I will get details from The Hub on the flooring and post soon. As for the interior........ well, this is what it looked like before..............

[jaco]

Maggie I bet it would be helpful to many if you would write up a report on the interior color change.(A new thread would make sense) How long has it been up and how is it holding up?
Any specific problems in applying it etc. Type of paint or stain. Did you all change color in bathroom too? How bout "70's Era Interior Makeovers" for a thread title.

Many of us with the plastic 70's era trailers are considering something similar I know.

Just curious but what were those dark strips on the dome end prior to your color change?
Also looks like you used matchstick (bamboo?) window coverings.
Did you devise something special to keep them back against the window wall curve and bottom?

thanks
jaco