British clean-tech company, Pavegen, installed the first street that will generate electricity with help of the weight of pedestrians footsteps in Bird Street, London. Shoppers and commuters will generate electricity by walking on tiles encompassing 10 square meters (107 square foot), and will also be able to check how much theyve generated from a mobile application.

Pavegens installation is a multifunctional, custom flooring system that is embedded with a wireless transmitter, capturing the data from the tiles, along with generators that generate kinetic energy as people walk. This happens because the pressure causes generators in the flooring to vertically displace. Therefore, electromagnetic induction creates kinetic energy, which can then be used to provide electric power. As its name suggests, in Bird Street, the tiles will be powering ambient bird chirps as well as lighting.

Lawrence Kemball-Cook on a bike in Bird Street. / Twitter

When a person walks, they generate 5 watts of energy continuously, so you are, we all are, a 5-watt power-feed. Now imagine 10 people; thats 50 watts of energy continuously, saysPavegen CEO Laurence Kemball-Cook.Lets say you have 40,000 people an hour passing through Grand Central Station, that energy is stored in batteries, and at night time, the power comes on. So municipalities, train stations, offices, schools anywhere with lots of people walking thats perfect for us, he adds.

This is not the first Pavegen installment in London; in 2014, Heathrow AirportsTerminal 3got its very own energy-generating tiles.Its also the worlds first airport interactive light exhibit, which they are calling Flow, coupled with the hashtag #walkandlight for passengers to add in their captions when posting videos or pictures.

Across the pond in Washington DC, just steps away from the White House, Pavegen designed a 73 square meter (240 square foot) installation on Connecticut Avenue,which sees around 10,000 people passing through daily. In Rio de Janeiro, the company has used the weight of childrens footsteps as they run, jump and play ina football field to light it, making it safer for children to play at night.

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Pavegen Gives London World's First Energy-Generating Street - progrss (press release) (blog)

Speed is of the essence when youre upgrading your kitchen, considering that youre likely to be spending more money on takeout and dinners out during the renovation.

Consumer Reports offers advice.

Design

To limit costs, leave the layout alone. If that wont do, consider moving only the fridge, because it requires just a standard 120-volt outlet (and access to a cold-water supply line, if it has an icemaker). Moving a range requires altering gas or electric lines, which adds a day or two of labor from an electrician, a plumber or both at anywhere from $45 to $145 per hour apiece. Likewise, moving a sink requires a days worth of plumbing work.

Dont skimp on cabinet quality. Remodelers that Consumer Reports surveyed said cabinetry was a top spot where they wished theyd spent more. To make room in the budget for high-quality cabinets, skip the uppers altogether and use open shelving to showcase pretty items. If youre adding an island, work in any storage space youve lost to stash anything you dont want on display.

Materials

Before knocking down a wall to create an open-concept kitchen, consider how youll marry the flooring in the two spaces. To extend hardwood throughout, install unfinished planks parallel to the old, and either get a pro to match the existing finish or have him sand the old boards and stain everything at once about $3.50 to $4 per square foot.

If your kitchen will stay sealed off, porcelain tile is probably your best bet, says Joan Muratore, Consumer Reports test engineer for flooring. Its excellent at resisting stains, dents or scratches. And it holds up well under heavy foot traffic. Youll find options from about $3.60 per square foot, plus $1,200 or so for installation.

When it comes to counters, granite and quartz top Consumer Reports tests, thanks to their ability to resist staining and stand up to abrasion and heat. Installing these workhorses in the average kitchen could save between $500 and $1,000 over higher-end marble or soapstone.

Appliances

Consumer Reports reveals that you can skip pro-style appliances. Youll pay $15,000 to $20,000 on a full kitchen suite, when $5,000 would get you better-performing models from mass-market brands, says Tara Casaregola, Consumer Reports kitchen test engineer. Adam DeSanctis of the National Association of Realtors adds, pro-style appliances wont necessarily boost the resale value of your home, beyond the bump youd get from having any new appliances in place.

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Upgrading kitchens - Virgin Islands Daily News

HELENA Glenn A. Benton, 82, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away at his home on Friday, June 23, 2017, surrounded by his family and faithful caregiver, Justin Giddings. Glenn was born in Lewistown, Montana, on Jan. 3, 1935, to Florence (Barney) and Rodney Benton. He was the sixth of seven children.

Glenn grew up in and around Lewistown where he began his life-long love of horses, the mountains, and hunting. He left high school at 17 to join the Air Force, serving as an airplane mechanic during the Korean War and ultimately was stationed at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls. During his service, he married and had three children, Rick, Cindy, and Bryce. The marriage ended in divorce, and in 1971 Glenn married his wife of 46 years, Wanda Webb, of Stanford. They had two children, Kimberly and Miles.

After leaving the service, Glenn worked at various jobs in Lewistown and the surrounding area, often holding down 2 or 3 jobs to support his family, from logging, to beekeeping, to bartending, to ranching, and finally working in the construction industry. His work with Morgan & Oswood Construction and Volk Construction found him working on various projects in Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Glenn also served as Commander of American Legion Post 16, donated time to the Boy Scouts of America, and served as a deputy sheriff while in Lewistown. Despite his love of Lewistown, Glenn never returned to live there. Glenn settled in Helena where for the better part of a decade he worked on restoring a mansion on the upper West side of Helena, as well as working on the same familys Holland Lake cabin. When the work was completed and Glenn needed a new challenge, he and Wanda started a hardwood flooring installation and restoration business until his health forced his retirement.

In the early 80s, while living in Deer Lodge, Glenn and Wanda traded a bus that Glenn had converted into a motor home for an unfinished cabin above the Nevada Creek Reservoir outside of Helmville where the family spent a great deal of time and labor creating a family retreat where wonderful memories were created.

Glenn never gave up the joy of learning and mastered what he put his mind to. He dabbled with beekeeping, cooking (he especially loved his Dutch ovens and pie making), and greatly enjoyed time in his wood working shop making many beautiful pieces of furniture and keepsakes for his family.

First, last, and always, Glenn loved his familyhis face lit up with a smile when he saw themespecially his grandchildren. Glenn will be dearly missed by Wanda, his wife of 46 years; his son, Rick Benton, of Lewistown; his daughter, Cindy Thiel, of Missoula; his son, Bryce Benton, wife Debbie, and their daughter Chloe, of Helena; his daughter, Kimberly Hooper, husband Troy, and their children, Brandon Cerise and Shelby Hooper, of Helena; his son Miles Benton, wife Colleen, and their daughter, McKenzie, of Helena; and his sister, Dolly Poser, of Lewistown. He was preceded in death by his parents, five siblings, and his daughter-in-law, Debbie Sue Benton, of Lewistown.

The family extends its deepest gratitude to Glenns caregivers this past year: Justin Giddings, Brenda Pineiro, and Melinda Herron. They enriched Glenns life every day. We will be eternally grateful for the kindness and care they extended to Glenn, as well as to Miles, Colleen, and McKenzie who moved in with Glenn and Wanda so Glenn could spend the remaining months of his life in his home. The family also thanks Compasuss (formerly Rocky Mountain) Hospice.

A graveside service with military honors will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 3, 2017 at Montana State Veterans Cemetery. A reception following the graveside will be in the social hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave., Helena, MT 59602. In lieu of flowers the family request memorials in Glenns name may be made to Compassus Hospice, 1075 N. Rodney St., Helena, MT 59601. Please visit http://www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or share a memory of Glenn.

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Benton, Glenn A. - Helena Independent Record

From hand-selecting the finest wood sourced exclusively for Bellawood, to our patented and proprietary finish, to our innovative manufacturing processes to ensure less waste and the highest quality -everything we do is about making a better floor. And when you choose Bellawood, a better floor is exactly what you get.

Our attention to every detail ensures that every Bellawood Prefinished Hardwood Floor will bring a lifetime of beauty and warmth to your home. Bellawood flooring is crafted from hand-selected wood. Each strip of wood is meticulously inspected

both before and after the finishing process. Our quality control experts walk more than 12 miles a day on our production line, ensuring that your flooring will heighten the look and value of your home. Bellawood Floors are backed by a Transferable 100 Year Warranty.

The beauty of Bellawood Hardwood Flooring can be seen at Lumber Liquidators where our full selection of hardwood and bamboo flooring is available for sale online and in retail stores.

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Bellawood Prefinished Hardwood Floors

Updating your home or commercial property shouldnt be a hassle or inconvenience. When you work with Integrated Flooring Solutions, we tailor the schedule to yours as much as possible. For businesses, that means working after hours and tenting our work sites to minimize mess. For homeowners, that means being as flexible as possible to accommodate the family.

If youre in the Indianapolis, Greenwood, Carmel, Fishers, or surrounding areas, call (317) 547-3333 to learn more about our products.

Whether looking for carpet, hardwood, tile, vinyl, or laminate flooring, we can help you choose the right styles at the right price. For your convenience, we also offer floor installation services if youre not ready to tackle the challenge alone. Looking for a way to set off your new floor? We also specialize in wall tile and backsplashes for kitchens and bathrooms!

Owning a business comes with its own unique set of challenges, which is why commercial floor installation shouldnt be difficult. IFS offers custom flooring options for commercial properties that will help to update and modernize almost any space. If you own a retail store, we tent the construction areas and maintain a clean working environment so that business is disrupted as little as possible. We service commercial properties including (but not limited to) the following:

Dont hesitate to contact us with any questions you have about flooring installation for your business facility.

Get Started With a Free Estimate!

Installing floors in a home or commercial property can be hassle-free when you work with IFS. Contact us at (317) 547-3333 to schedule your free in-home estimate.

Check out our specials to learn about discounted flooring options for residential and commercial spaces!

Ask About our Financing Options!

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Flooring Installation Indianapolis | Floor Installation

Key check points when having flooring installed by Nebraska Furniture Mart's Professional Flooring Installers:

At the time of sale we will estimate the approximate size and cost of your installation. The total cost may vary due to adjustments in yardage and/or additional labor charges.

Our measurers will call the morning of the measure by 12 noon. Read more about our measure policy.

Before we order any products to install your floor, we must have your verbal approval on the exact sizes and costs associated with your job. If youve not been contacted within two days after your measure, please call our Flooring Service Department at 402-392-3490 or 1-800-359-1200, extension 23490. If price approval is delayed, your order will not be placed and your installation might not proceed as scheduled. Scheduled installation dates are based on carpet availability and subject to change.

Take-up, removal, stairs, metal trim, subfloor prep or furniture moving may require extra labor service charges. Please understand that installers will only perform work shown on the work order. Any extra work required during installation that has not been discussed with your sales associate and written on the work order, will require additional charges.

To make way for your new carpet and pad, you will need to remove your wall-to-wall carpet and pad. Please leave the tack strip down and remove remaining pad staples. Upon request, we will take up and dispose of the existing carpet and pad for a modest charge. Installers will only dispose of carpet they take up.

If Nebraska Furniture will be moving your furniture, please remove all breakable items first. Disconnect any wiring such as stereo and TV wires. In bedrooms, please strip beds and remove all items from the tops of dressers and bottoms of closets. In kitchen and utility rooms please disconnect the washer, dryer, refrigerator and all gas appliances. Nebraska Furniture Mart installers are not responsible for disconnecting or reconnecting these items. NFM Installers WILL NOT dismantle or move waterbeds, grandfather clocks, antiques or any items requiring calibration or any item that a two-man crew is incapable of moving.

Please be sure the power is on for the installers electrical tools, and the temperature in the house is 69 degrees, 24 hours prior to installation. Installers will call the morning of the installation between 7am and 10 am.

When inspecting your new carpet, it could appear slightly different in texture or color due to normal dye lot differences from the display sample in the store. Newly installed carpet, when exposed to normal vacuuming, will blossom and take on a closer appearance to our showroom samples.

Nebraska Furniture Mart does not cut doors for carpet clearance. The installers will remove doors to install carpet and replace them, but will not replace doors if they require trimming.

In most installations, carpet seams are common, however no seam is totally invisible. Due to different textures, patterns and direction of light, some seams may be more visible than others, Please discuss with your installer any seams you may have questions about before he leaves your home.

After installation you will probably notice some leftover pieces of carpet. This is normal and due to the fact that most rooms are narrower or wider than the standard 12-foot wide carpet. Your installer will collect and bag scrap pieces and vacuum your new carpet. Larger pieces of carpet will be left for your use.

Many carpets now have backing that is highly abrasive to painted or varnished surfaces and to freshly applied wallpaper. We recommend that freshly painted, or newly wallpapered walls be allowed to completely dry at least four days prior to installation. Your installer will take added care to minimize these scratches but minor touch up may be needed after installation.

Nebraska Furniture Mart flooring orders marked Balance Before Delivery (BBD) that are not paid in full five days prior to installation will not be installed on the set date and will need to be rescheduled when payment is received.

If for any reason measuring cannot be done on the day scheduled please contact us immediately at 1-800-544-6028. Your measure agent will call you the morning of the measure, between 7am and 12pm depending on your measure timeframe to arrange a time to meet with you. Your presence at the measuring is important.

You will be contacted within three working days after your measurement. If you have not been contacted please call the flooring service at 1-800-544-6028. Prior to scheduling an installation we must have your price approval on the exact sizes and costs associated with your job. After price approval, you may set a date for installation. This is a Tentative Installation Date. Scheduled Installation Dates may be based on product availability.

Extra labor services may be required. These may include, but are not limited to: the take up and haul away of existing floor coverings, stair labor, spindles, trim labor, subfloor preparation or furniture moving. These special labor services require additional charges. Installers will only perform work shown on the work order. The work order is created by a sales associate after the measure has been completed and you have been contacted by a sales associate to discuss the measurements. Any extra work required not written on the work order will be subject to additional charges. Floor Tolerance is very important with certain products. The measure agent will look for this while measuring. If there is existing carpet on the floor; the exact Floor Tolerance cannot be determined. Likewise Water Damage may be hidden under layers of flooring. What cannot be seen cannot be accurately priced.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please call our Customer Service: 1-800-544-6028

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Nebraska Furniture Mart - Flooring Installation

Prepared for: [Client.FirstName] [Client.LastName] [Client.Company]

Prepared by: [Company.FirstName] [Company.LastName] [Company.Company]

PandaTip: This template can be used by a representative of a flooring installation and repair company when a homeowner expresses interest in having some work done to their floors. Add project details and info about your company to make it as personalized as possible and wow potential new clients.

PandaTip: This section is used to help potential new clients connect with your business. Gain their trust by adding information about your companys background and areas of expertise. If your company hasnt been around very long, substitute the number of years field with something else that makes your company unique and trustworthy number of clients served or any awards or accreditations, etc.

Thank you for considering [Company.Company] for your flooring installation and repair project! Weve been providing quality flooring installation and repair services since [Year Business Began], and we pride ourselves on creating an outstanding experience for each and every one of our clients.

The flooring world can be confusing, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Our experienced, knowledgeable team can install all types of floors, and were experts on the topics of hardwood, laminate, ceramic tile, floating, engineered hardwood, vinyl sheet, and carpet flooring options. Were happy to help you decide which type of flooring is best for your home, style, and lifestyle. Once decisions have been made, well work quickly and minimize disruption to your day-to-day life, so you can start enjoying your beautiful new floors as soon as soon as possible.

Please review the following proposal, which outlines the scope and details of the project. Im happy to answer any questions, and I look forward to working with you.

Best,

PandaTip: Your satisfied clients are your greatest asset. Ask a few to share a bit about their experience working with you and to serve as references. If they dont feel comfortable having a picture associated with their quote, or youd rather not involve your previous clients, share pictures and descriptions of jobs youve completed.

[Company.Company] repaired our hardwood floors and made them look brand new! The job was completed ahead of schedule and the results are gorgeous. Id recommend them to anyone looking to repair their floors.

Ditching our dingy old carpet was easy with [Company.Company]. Their helpful representatives helped us understand the benefits of all kinds of options, from tile to linoleum, so we knew we made the right choice. The flooring installation process was quick and simple.

PandaTip: This section can be used to explain the services your company offers more in-depth. Explain a bit about what each service entails to help potential clients understand what will take place when they hire your company.

At [Company.Company], flooring is our game. We provide the following services:

Leave all the sanding, staining, and putty mess to us. Well make your old hardwood floors shine brighter than the day they were installed.

Wondering how much flooring material youll need? Schedule an appointment for a free estimate. A member of our knowledgeable team will measure the area, so you know exactly how much carpet, hardwood, tile, stain, or whatever else will be required for the job before we get started. If youre not sure what type of flooring is best for you, ask us! Were happy to talk you through the pros and cons of every type of flooring material, so you can make the right choice for your home and family.

Whether youre a carpet fan or all about tile, well make sure your new flooring gets installed correctly and quickly.

PandaTip: Use this section to outline a specific plan for the homeowners flooring installation or repair project. Include as many details as you can, including what the homeowner will need to have done before you arrive, as well as a tentative timeline for the project.

PandaTip: Be as specific as you can when providing a cost estimate to a potential client. Include the per-item cost for even the smallest necessary material, including tax. Its also important to define when payment is due.

[Company.Company] will provide all materials necessary for successful completion of the outlined job. A detailed list of necessary materials and estimated costs is included below. Any expenses not reflected in the original cost summary will be discussed with [Client.FirstName] [Client.LastName] and detailed in the final cost summary for the project.

The total balance is due upon successful completion of the project. Any portion of the balance left unpaid seven days after the job completion date may be subject to collection efforts.

Total: $927.50

Our projects are typically paid in one lump sum, upon completion of the project. Balances not paid seven days after the job is finished may be subject to collection efforts.

All of us at [Company.Company] greatly appreciate the opportunity to make your flooring dreams come true. By signing below, you agree to the terms and conditions specified in this proposal. If you have any questions about our company, services, or this document, feel free to contact me at [Company.Phone] or [Company.Email].

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Flooring Installation and Repair Proposal Template - Download ...

Steps Method 1 Preparing for Installation

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Are all of the planks the same length?

wikiHow Contributor

All the planks from a manufacturer are one length, but you should cut them to fit your floor.

Do I have to have a lock on each end of the laminate, or can I use scraps from time to time with no locks to reduce waste?

wikiHow Contributor

When you get one row done and you need to saw a piece of the laminate off, you can use it as the beginning of the next row. Then the part without a lock is facing the wall anyway.

Can I install laminate on top of ceramic tiles?

wikiHow Contributor

Yes, but only if the tile is in good condition and level. If it is damaged or starting to come up, then you should remove it first or you will end up with a disaster and it will waste your money. There could also be a height issue with the doors.

Do I need to lay polythene under the underlay on a wooden ground floor before installing the laminate?

wikiHow Contributor

Follow the manufacturer's recommendation. Some require polyethylene in addition to padding, some allow it, and others will void the warranty if you use plastic on a wood sub floor.

Will there be short pieces at the end of a row?

wikiHow Contributor

When you cut the pieces, yes, there will be shorter pieces at the end. You may then use the other part of that cut piece as the beginning of the next row.

I have just discovered some bulges in my newly installed laminate floor. Is there any way to repair this?

wikiHow Contributor

The bulges probably mean that the floor is not flat, which means starting over again, I'm afraid. You must check and control the flatness. Also check for any damp areas -- this would swell the laminate (if wood). And don't forget to lay an underlay -- felt or a rubber-composite-type floor covering.

How should I treat the edge finishing at the front door?

wikiHow Contributor

Use a t-molding or other transition strip made for joining carpet, tile etc.

Do I have to glue the laminate onto a tile floor, or will be the underlayment be enough?

wikiHow Contributor

It is best to fit a laminate floor as a floating floor, with expansion gaps around the edges. If you glue the laminate down, you will run into problems as the humidity and temperature naturally changes.

What do I do when an ending wall has too big of a gap?

wikiHow Contributor

Ideally, use a table saw to rip the width down to fit, otherwise carefully use a jigsaw or circular saw - cutting from the underside, with masking tape along the cut line. Try a small cut first to see which way minimizes chipping.

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How to Avoid Common Problems when Installing Laminate Flooring

Do you want to update the floors throughout your home? Griffins Flooring America sells a broad assortment of flooring in California that will update your interiors from outdated to beautiful. We have an expansive showroom that is packed with every option that you could ever want, including carpet, laminate flooring, ceramic tile, luxury vinyl tile and hardwood flooring.

When you work with our team of experienced flooring experts, you can feel completely confident about the measurements, labor, and materials for your new floor. Our professional technicians know how to help guide you to find the right floor to fit your needs in lifestyle, performance, and budget. We also ensure your new flooring is installed correctly so that it will remain attractive and durable for many years to come.

Variety is the key when it comes to choosing the right type of flooring for your home or business. Our reputable flooring company is provides you with a huge selection of flooring options in a variety of patterns, colors, and designs. This guarantees that you will find something that fits your unique aesthetic and durability needs. Whether you want sleek modern floors or something more classic and refined, our store has the ideal choice to upgrade your dcor and add value to your home.

If you know you want new flooring for your home or business, but are unsure where to begin narrowing down your choices, we can help. Our friendly and well-informed sales specialists are happy to help you choose the perfect flooring to fit your specific needs. Finding the right floor for your property is a big decision and an important investment. Let us guide you every step of the wayfrom selection to installationand ensure you feel confident you are making the best choice possible for your needs.

Our helpful team of specialists works closely with customers to find the flooring that works best with their furniture, dcor, aesthetic preference, lifestyle, and durability needs. We want you to enjoy your flooring and make sure it lasts for as long as possible. No matter how unique your tastes or needs might be, our team is will make sure you review the types of flooring options that are sure to leave you 100% satisfied.

To ensure you get the most out of your new bathroom flooring or kitchen flooring, we strongly recommend that you have it installed by our highly trained professional installers. Our installation team has extensive experience and knowledge about installing all kinds of flooring, and you can count on them to make sure it has been done properly with no mistakes. No project is too big or too small for our team, and we work diligently to offer our installation services at the lowest prices in the area.

Proper installation of your new floors is just as important as choosing the right type of flooring. Installing your flooring by yourself or with an unlicensed contractor can lead to errors that ruin the look and the properties of your flooring material. When you decide to work with the installers from our flooring store, you are making an investment in the longevity and quality of your new flooring. Plus, we are so confident about our work, we offer a guarantee that if you arent satisfied within 30 days of the installation, we will replace it with flooring of equal value at no cost to you.

Do you want to learn more about the myraid flooring options available from our flooring store? Call us at for additional information. Our team of flooring specialists is proud to serve the communities of California, Lexington Park, Leonardtown, Beauvue, Saint Clements Bay, Breton Bay and Oakley, Maryland.

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Flooring California MD | Flooring Installation

People in our industry have a lot of questions and concerns about bamboo. I've been selling and working with bamboo flooring since 2001, and I have been working directly with Chinese factories since 2004, but I'll be the first to admit that I still haven't figured bamboo out. It's a tricky material, and my experience with it has been a lot like my experience with wood-the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. But I have had plenty of opportunities to see how things actually play out in the field-the good, the bad and the ugly-when people install different types and brands of bamboo flooring.

To start, I'd like to emphasize three points. First, the most important thing you have to remember about bamboo is that it is not wood. When you're dealing with bamboo, leave all of your wood habits and assumptions at the door. The only things it really has in common with wood are that it grows from the ground, and that it's hygroscopic.

Second, strandwoven bamboo is really not like wood. It looks a little more like wood than traditional bamboo flooring, but the similarity goes only that far. Because it is infused with glue, strandwoven material has unique characteristics that make it even less like wood than traditional bamboo.

And third, not all bamboo is the same. There is a huge range in quality among the many different factories in China, and a huge range in the level of knowledge among the people who run those factories. Unfortunately, most bamboo flooring looks more or less the same out of the box, so buyers are easily tempted by low prices. In general, bamboo flooring is like anything else-you get what you pay for.

Overall, quality has improved in the bamboo flooring industry, and many of the quality problems that we see nowadays are from manufacturers who are cutting corners because of pressure from us, the buyers, to keep costs as low as possible. So, it's not really fair to blame the species for all of these problems, except insofar as it truly is a bit trickier to produce a quality flooring product out of bamboo than it is out of wood. Let's look at why.

Bamboo differs from wood in some of its basic biological structures. Lignins are the natural resins that concentrate in the tissues of wood and bamboo that give them strength and density. In bamboo, those lignins are heavily concentrated in the vascular bundles. The strength of the fibers in these vascular bundles is incredible-it actually rivals steel. But the tissue between the vascular bundles, called the parenchyma, is much weaker than the tissues in most hardwood species.

In bamboo, the strong fibers are clustered more densely at the outer wall of the stalk and get less dense as you move inward. This is very different from wood, where the strong fibers are distributed more evenly throughout the log. In bamboo, the average density of the outer half of the wall may be twice that of the inner half.

To make bamboo flooring, rectangular strips are cut from the wall of the stalk, so each strip has a dense side and a less-dense side. The inner portion of the wall is more stable than the outer portion, so one side of the strip expands and contracts more than the other. So, every strip of bamboo is inherently imbalanced, and this is one of the biggest challenges manufacturers have to overcome.

Bamboo is different from wood in another crucial way: It expands and contracts along its length (longitudinally). In most woods, longitudinal shrinkage doesn't really affect flooring installations, but in bamboo it is 2-3 tenths of a percent-enough to start being noticeable.

Another challenge is that the density and dimensional stability of bamboo change as you move up the stalk. Material taken from the base of the stalk will be less dense and more stable than material taken from higher up.

Now, in case things weren't complicated enough, here's a twist-along the length of the stalk, we have the same type of stability imbalance that we do through the thickness, but it's reversed! The soft inner wall is more stable than the outer wall when it comes to expansion and contraction across the grain, but it is actually less stable than the outer wall in the longitudinal direction. When a strip of bamboo goes into the kiln, it will shrink more across its width on the dense side, while at the same time it shrinks more along its length on the soft side. One side wants to cup while the other side wants to bow in the opposite direction. You can imagine the tension this creates.

With all of these inherent imbalances, one of the keys to making good bamboo flooring is to create uniformity through the plank by orienting the strips in ways that counteract or average out the imbalances.

In vertical-grain flooring, the strips on the left side of the plank are oriented with the denser portion toward the left. Then in the exact center of the plank, they switch directions and are oriented with the denser portion toward the right. If all of the strips were aligned the same way, the tendency of the soft sides to expand or contract more along the length of the plank would cause the planks to crook or "banana." By switching direction halfway across, they get the two sides to pull evenly on each other and cancel themselves out.

Horizontal bamboo is more dimensionally stable than vertical, because laminating the layers bonds the more stable and less stable portions of the strips together and helps cancel some of the movement. In my experience, you see fewer cupping claims on the horizontal material, I think in part because of this horizontal lamination, but also because of the way it is assembled in three layers. They always orient the hard side of the strips toward the surfaces, which creates a pattern that results in having more of the soft, stable material in the bottom half of the plank. So, as the humidity comes up from below and the plank starts to expand, the bottom expands less than it normally would relative to the top, counteracting some of the tendency to cup. In this case, with a wet subfloor, the imbalance of the bamboo actually works in our favor.

Hardness in bamboo is determined by a variety of factors, especially the age of the stalk. The tissues in bamboo harden as they grow older. Typically, horizontal bamboo gets a higher average Janka rating than vertical products because the soft sides of the strips are protected, whereas in the vertical material, they are exposed at the surface.

While age is important, be careful not to give too much credence to claims from some manufacturers that their products are superior because the material is older. Most of the moso bamboo used for flooring is harvested between its 5th and 6th years simply because it makes the most economic sense for the growers. After a point, older is no longer better-if you go much beyond the 6th year, the stalks become more brittle and are prone to cracking.

Other factors that determine hardness include altitude, latitude and soil conditions. Bamboo grown at higher elevations, further north, and in drier conditions tends to be more dense. In my experience, a majority of the bamboo flooring being sold by the premiere brands in the U.S. has material from the prime moso growing region in and around Zhejiang province in East Central China.

Where or when the bamboo was cut only tells a part of the story, because the genetics of the individual plants often play an important role in hardness. You can see fairly large variation in size and density even among stalks cut at the same age from the same farm, and even within the individual stalk there is significant variation in density. The better manufacturers buy only the best portion of the best stalks. This is one of the main reasons cost is a big determinant of quality in bamboo flooring.

For years we have seen bamboo flooring advertised as being harder than oak or maple. This is definitely true for strandwoven bamboo, but manufacturers consistently publish Janka hardness test values for traditional bamboo in the range of 1300-1800, like oak to hickory. Yet we've all heard from disappointed consumers who say that their bamboo floor doesn't hold up nearly as well as their old oak floors. So how can this be?

In some cases it may be inferior or immature raw material, but even quality raw material doesn't seem to hold up as advertised. I believe it goes back to the fact that the material's strength is in its vascular bundles, and the material between them is weak. When we test bamboo using a blunt object like a Janka ball, those strong fibers don't break. But when you hit bamboo with something sharp enough to cut through those fibers, there's little strength to resist the gouging. So, a rock in a shoe can make a much deeper gouge than it would in oak with the same Janka rating.

Another reason consumers sometimes feel misled about the hardness of bamboo is that the marketing often fails to point out that carbonized color is on average 20 percent softer than the natural color, and the published Janka test results are usually results from the natural color. The carbonization process involves cooking the bamboo at very high temperatures, which literally caramelizes the bamboo's sugars. This weakens the material, making it softer and more brittle, and it increases the bamboo's capacity to absorb water, making it less dimensionally stable. This is true for both traditional and strandwoven bamboo.

While traditional bamboo flooring may not be quite as tough as it's cracked up to be, its newer cousin, strand bamboo, is extremely hard and holds up well in high-traffic settings.

Strandwoven bamboo is made of small strands of bamboo that have been soaked in phenolic glue, re-dried, and then compressed into a composite. The result is a product similar to OSB except that the strands of bamboo run the full length of the plank, making it look more like natural wood. As a composite, it is much harder and, in most cases, more dimensionally stable than traditional bamboo flooring.

Some may doubt the statement that strand bamboo is more stable because many people have seen problems with it, but it's important to not confuse dimensional stability with reliability. Dimensional stability tells us how much the material will expand and contract, but it does not necessarily predict how well it will stay flat.

Because of the unique process involved and the glue that binds it together, strand bamboo can be difficult to dry and acclimate properly, can be prone to cracking, and is more susceptible to cupping than traditional bamboo when glued to a slab. And quality matters even more with strand bamboo than it does with traditional bamboo-the process and the glue are critical to its performance and there are many more ways to make mistakes and cut corners.

There are two types of manufacturing for strand bamboo: cold-press and hot-press. Manufacturers of both types claim that theirs is the superior method. Based on my testing and field experience, I'd say the jury is still out and that it really depends on the individual factory.

In my experience, it's much more difficult to make a reliable engineered bamboo than it is to make a reliable engineered hardwood. Since making a bamboo top layer usually involves gluing together smaller strips, there are more opportunities for glue bond failure. However, more often than not, it's the bamboo itself that fails. When that bamboo top layer is locked by a glue bond to a layer of plywood (or other wood) running in the opposite direction, and it's not able to shrink, it has a tendency to tear itself apart more readily than most woods. Again, the weakness of the parenchyma is the problem. Most of the failures that you see with engineered bamboo are in out-of-warranty conditions. Properly made material used according to the manufacturer's guidelines is usually fine. But in my experience, when conditions get extreme, even well-made engineered bamboo is not as reliable as engineered hardwood flooring made with similar care.

A problem you may have seen in traditional bamboo floors is grayish, streaky discoloration in some planks. This is fungus that has attacked the bamboo during the first few days after it was harvested. Raw bamboo rots quickly and has to be treated with borate solution within two days of being cut in order to prevent this. If mold has set in before the treatment, it may still be visible in the finished floor even though it has been killed.

Unfortunately, I have seen cases where mold actually spread in the floor after it was installed, even under dry conditions. As a general rule of thumb, if you see this in a plank, it's probably safer not to install it. I have not seen this in carbonized bamboo, probably because of the heat from carbonization and because the darker color masks any mold. I have seen hints of mold in natural strandwoven bamboo, but it is much less visible and does not present the risk of spreading because the glue and curing process should kill any spores.

There are some other common issues people encounter with bamboo on the job site. Most installers are in the habit of leaving expansion space along the sides of the planks but not where the boards end by the wall. With solid hardwood, you generally don't have to worry about it. With bamboo, because of its greater longitudinal instability, you do. You might also see the opposite problem when things get too dry, where the ends will pull away from each other. Gapping at the butt joints can happen with both traditional and strand bamboo.

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The growth in the popularity of strandwoven bamboo has been a big boost to the inspections industry; cupping claims on installations over concrete are a huge problem. Many strand jobs have mystified claims inspectors and glue manufacturers because the slab was within allowable limits and the vapor retarder was properly applied, yet still the floor cupped. It has led people to believe that strand bamboo is highly sensitive to moisture, but from what I've seen, strand bamboo has done just as well as similarly dense species of hardwood when installed over a crawlspace. The problem is that when it is installed on a slab, the density and the resin in strandwoven bamboo make it hard for the vapor to escape, causing moisture to slowly accumulate and condense on the surface of the slab. The strandwoven bamboo is itself a vapor barrier, but one that will absorb water slowly over time. This explains why some of these cupping claims over concrete are very slow to develop. The condensation of water under the strand bamboo also may account for the relatively large number of so-called "glue failures" that we've seen in these installations.

To prevent cupping, the perm rating of the vapor retarder would have to be equal to or lower than the perm rating of the strand bamboo itself, which is apparently extremely low, so you need an excellent vapor retarder. So, with strandwoven bamboo, it's even more important than with other materials to thoroughly test and seal the concrete, and to avoid installations where there is any sign of a moisture problem.

Another problem you may see with strandwoven flooring is a phenomenon I call "rippling," where you get tiny ripples or wrinkles in the face. Many strand installations have this problem, but it's often so subtle that the end-user hasn't noticed it. There are a couple of factors likely contributing to this. First, inconsistent or inadequate drying of raw material means that when the product acclimates at the job site, some strands are lifting or sinking relative to others. Second, there is a rebound effect-strands that have been compressed together have a tendency to want to bounce back against the direction of the press, especially with moisture.

The cracking problems that happen with engineered traditional and strand bamboo also show up with some solid strand products. Like with wood, drier conditions seem to bring this out more, but I've seen cracking develop in samples from lesser-quality manufacturers even at sea level in San Francisco. The causes of these cracks are often related to the same factors that cause the rippling-the rebound effect and inconsistent drying. But cracking can also sometimes be a symptom of a poor quality resin and/or improper curing.

Two other problems that you'll sometimes encounter in strandwoven installations are dimpling and edge crushing, which may look the same but are caused by different things. Dimpling usually occurs when the installer is using cleats that are too thick-strandwoven manufacturers recommend 18-gauge cleats, but many installers are in the habit of using 15.5-gauge cleats. Because this material is so dense, the fasteners will push it up and create a lump at the surface.

Edge crushing is a trickier problem. Strandwoven bamboo is very strong but brittle, and if the installer bangs his nailer too hard, he can create fractures in the side of the plank that may not be visible right away. If the planks later expand and pressure is exerted at that seam, the fractures get worse and can travel up through the face. You should be able to tell the difference between dimpling and edge crushing by the fact that on a dimpled floor, many of the lumps won't have cracks, and they will be visible right away.

The truth is that if bamboo is properly made and installed, it can make a great floor. I have been involved in countless commercial and residential jobs that have gone off without a hitch and left the customer very satisfied. The strand bamboo floor that I put in my kitchen in 2006 still looks brand-new today.

To summarize, remember a few key pieces of advice:

1) Avoid using traditional bamboo in demanding settings where you have high traffic, big dogs, etc. It's really just not as hard as the Janka test results indicate.

2) Be sure to thoroughly acclimate and carefully measure the moisture content of strand bamboo before installation. You might be surprised how long it takes to acclimate properly.

3) If you plan to install strand bamboo on a slab on-grade, do careful testing to make sure there are no moisture issues, use the best vapor retarder possible, and be extra cautious with carbonized material.

4) Whenever possible, buy from a company with a good reputation, preferably one that has been importing bamboo flooring for many years. The quality problems and the corner-cutting some bamboo manufacturers engage in usually can't be seen with the naked eye, so you have to be careful. Like with anything else, be wary of a really good price.

We often hear complaints about huge variability in moisture readings with bamboo flooring. Moisture readings on bamboo have to be taken carefully, and even then it's hard to be sure you're getting accurate data.

The first step is to make sure you are armed with the best information available from your moisture meter manufacturer. Some have done extensive testing and have correction guidelines, but the recommended corrections differ from one manufacturer to the next. In my conversations with meter manufacturers, even those that have done a lot of work on this have been a bit mystified and frustrated by the wide range of results they get. There are several reasons for this, among them variations in age and density among individual strips, variations in density from different strand glues and processes, and possible changes at the cellular level caused by heating, but we don't yet seem to have a clear handle on how important each of these factors might be.

Make sure to verify with the meter manufacturer whether their correction numbers are for traditional or strand bamboo. For traditional bamboo, pin meters work fine, but always insert the pins parallel to the grain and to exactly the same depth. This helps make sure you avoid crossing a glue line, which can throw off the reading. For strandwoven bamboo, my experience suggests that you're best off using a surface meter; the factories in China that work with strandwoven products don't use pin meters at all.

Drying bamboo at the factory is tricky, in part because it's so hard to measure the moisture content. Most of the factories don't dry the bamboo down to a target moisture content as we do with wood. Instead, they rely on a predetermined schedule, because checking the moisture content of individual strips can be misleading due to the density variation.

Even with careful drying, consistent moisture content seems to be a problem for all manufacturers of strand bamboo. I have tested material from well-known brands with moisture content ranging from 6-15% right out of the box. With its extreme density and fibers sheathed in glue, acclimating strandwoven bamboo at the job site can take a long time. I would say as a general rule that strandwoven should be treated with the same caution with which you would treat the densest tropical hardwoods like ip and cumaru. Acclimation times should be thought of in weeks, not days. D.H.

Unfortunately, there currently are no useful quality or grading standards for bamboo flooring. People in our industry who have been frustrated by the problems they've been seeing have asked NWFA to develop standards, and the NWFA has formed a committee, which I'm involved in, but it has proven to be a difficult task to come up with much beyond the HPVA rules that are already in existence for engineered flooring. These rules relate mainly to things like machining tolerances, moisture content, formaldehyde, and glue bond integrity, which are all important, but they don't speak to many of the issues explained here. In bamboo, you have tremendous variation in the quality of the raw material itself, and then there are many early steps in the manufacturing process that allow for human error and corner-cutting. In my opinion, to really create effective standards for bamboo, we would have to monitor the whole process from start to finish.

The information in this article was adapted from a presentation at an NWFA Bamboo/Strand Workshop. For more information on NWFA classes, go to http://www.nwfa.org.

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