With both wood and bamboo flooring, excess moisture results in the largest percentage of complaints. Improper maintenance is but one of the moisture related problems. Most commonly moisture problems are caused by conditions such as water under the structure, leaking pipe, excessively wet concrete or too much moisture in a buildings other structural components such as lumber and plaster at the time the floor is installed.
The major component in most cleaning chemicals is water. With most installed floor products, water mixed with some type of cleaning chemical is used to maintain them. Some bamboo and wood care and finishing products also have water as a main component. What many end-users do not understand is that water improperly controlled can have a detrimental effect on bamboo and wood floors. When manufacturing literature can be misleading for while it may state that water can damage the floor, it goes on to list damp mopping as a suitable way to maintain the floor. The end user needs to understand that damp means almost dry, usually a mist of cleaner (preferably applied directly to the applicator) followed with a dry towel and not a wrong-out sponge or string mop. Below we have listed a number of other Bamboo Flooring Care Do’s and Don’ts.
BAMBOO FLOORING CARE DO’S
- Install humidity controls. The use of a dehumidifier or humidifier is critical in areas with frequent variations in temperature and humidity.
- Sweep with soft bristle broom or dust mop the floor daily. Walking on dusty or dirty floors will damage the finish.
- Vacuum the floor regularly using a floor tool and not a beater brush.
- Clean spots from the floor by rubbing with a lightly dampened cloth. Spray the cleaning product onto the cloth and not the floor. Use a cleaning product acceptable to the manufacturer. Your dealer, installer or a wood flooring company can assist you with this.
- Purchase a “floor care kit” recommended by the installer or retailer.
- Dry up spills immediately.
- Use felt or similar soft protectors on the legs or feet of furniture.
- Use throw rugs at locations where soil may be tracked onto the floor or at areas subject to regular pivotal traffic such as in front of a kitchen sink, or sofa or chair.
- Area rugs should be moved occasionally so that natural fading of the floor will be evened out.
- Use mats at outside doors to assist keeping dirt and dust outdoors.
- Keep the outdoor walks and porches clean so dirt is not tracked on to the floor.
- Use barrel-type caster wheels or wide glides on furniture.
- Restore lost luster with a topcoat dressing.
- Recoat worn surfaces before the bamboo or wood is exposed to avoid re-sanding.
- Have the floor professionally screened and recoated before wear on the finish is too severe. This may be several years down the road depending on care and use.
BAMBOO FLOORING CARE DON’T”S
- Do not use dust treatment sprays or chemicals. These products may cause the floor to become slick or dull the surface.
- Do not use a vacuum beater brush, as it will damage the finish. Use the vacuum floor tool.
- Do not wet mop the floor. When using a damp mop, spray the cleaning product onto the mop and not by dipping the mop. Remember that water is the number one cause of damage to a floor.
- Do not allow spills to dry on their own, wipe them up immediately.
- Do not regularly clean with water or water-based products. Clean only the soiled areas as needed.
- Do not use ammonia or ammonia products. Alkaline cleaners may cause strong yellowing and color changes.
- Do not use oil soap or oil soap products.
- Do not wax a urethane floor.
- Do not use rubber, foam-back or plastic mats as they may discolor floor.
- Do not walk on wood or bamboo floors with spike or stiletto heeled shoes. Such footwear can produce a dynamic load in excess of 1000 PSI, even when worn by a person of small or average build. You are better off driving your car or walking an elephant on the floor. The car has a load of 28 to 30 PSI and an elephant 50 to 100 PSI.
- Do not walk on a floor in shoes with bad heels. A shoe in bad repair that has an exposed nail head can exert a force of 8,000 PSI, which is high enough to pulverize hardened concrete.
About Terry Weinheimer
Thank you for posting these tips about bamboo flooring care. Bamboo flooring is great option for installing in the house, it is durable and really has unique style. If maintained in the proper way, it will serve for a long time and will bring excitement of having the great floor.
TipTop Flooring Inc.
Thanks for the comment.
Hi,
I am sending this e-mail because my sister in law does not speak english. She had somebody install her bamboo floor last summer….and since then she had problems with it..She told me that there are so many gaps between the planks that she does not like the floor anymore…She had an inspector that came to see the problems and he told her that they cannot do anything for her….What else can she do??? Thanks
There are many causes of gaps. What did the inspector find to be the cause? If you can find that out perhaps we can giver her some suggestions. If the cause is the floor becoming too dry then she will need to raise the humidity to the levels recommended by the manufacturer of her floor. If you are able to get more information please post it and we will reply.
Terry
I would like to purchase a natural fiber rug and would like to know what sort of rug pad, if any should be placed beneath the rug. It will be placed in front of the couch.
Thank you.
Linda
My preference is a mesh-grid style of padding. The dealer you are purchasing your rug from should offer this style of cushion. If your dealer does not offer a mesh-grid pad check with other rug dealers, home stores or a department store that sells rugs. Make sure that the warranty states that it is non-staining. Move your rug around every several months as most all floors will change color to some degree from natural exposure.
Terry
I have mositure damage to my bamboo floor. It cannot be determined where it is coming from. The tenants who live there said had a couple of people look at it and were told there was a recall on bamboo. However, he did not provide me with any more info. Can you shed any light on this?
Thank You!
Audrey
I need more information. To start, when was the flooring installed and what kind of floor is it installed over? Is the water damage localized or overall? What room is it installed in and when did the problem show up? These are just a few of the questions that will need answered to determine what the cause of the problem might be. If you have photos that can be emailed to me at twgroupmail@gmail.com I will take a look at them. In the mean time, if you haven’t already contacted the dealer you purchased the floor from you may want to do so. It sounds like you are going to need an expert flooring inspector to check this situation out for you and they may be able to help you arrange for an inspection.
Terry
I’ve just had bamboo flooring installed onto a concrete slab all level (I had titles previously with no problem what so ever since 1975) now my new bamboo flooring approx 6-8 of them are buckling on the sides and everyone is telling me there must be moisture underneath. but it’s on a concrete slab and I’ve never had leakage before – could it be something else – would anyone know ?
Sally
Yes, it could be moisture and the concrete should have been tested for moisture prior to installation. Bamboo, wood and laminate floors are not as forgiving to moisture as tile is. If you used a professional installer and they did not test the floor prior to installation they did not do their job correctly. If the concrete was tested and at an acceptable level at the time of installation testing will need to be done to determine where the moisture is coming from as it may be the slab or another source all together. Another common problem could be acclimation. If a the bamboo floor was installed without properly acclimating it to its environment it could be expanding and resulting in the lifting. If you are cleaning the floor with a lot of water or the humidity is very high these also need to be considerations. As you can see there are a number of potential causes of the problem you describe.
Terry
Thanks Terry, what you say makes sense I feel the installers should have tested and sealed the concrete, I think this is where the problem is. Appreciate your advice. I think I’ll take the bamboo floor out and maybe have polished concrete or have titles again. Bamboo is too delicate. Happy New Year, Regards Sally