All about bamboo flooring

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Environmentally friendly residential real estate has been around for a long time, but it was confined to a niche market of custom and small niche builders. With the success of former Vice President Al Gore’s movie “Inconvenient Truth”, the public eye is again turning to the environment. That includes homebuyers of residential real estate.

With this increase of “green” public interest, many giants within the home construction industry are now building environmentally friendly homes, but they have encountered a paradox — homebuyers want green residential real estate, but they do not wish to pay the upfront cost of having it. With the serious slowdown in new home sales, residential real estate builders are caught in the middle of the issue. It is easier for them to persuade a potential buyer to upgrade to granite countertops than to pay the upfront costs for solar panels or an energy-efficient furnace. Thus, the residential real estate builders are trying to balance between what they see as their “social obligation” to the environment and the obligation they owe their shareholders.

Jeffrey Mezger, CEO of KB Home (one of the nation’s largest homebuilders), underscores this sentiment. He points out that homebuilders cannot give away their profits. They would not be in business for long, if they did.

Some environmentally friendly features being built into some residential real estate are:

• Wood that is harvested in an environmentally friendly manner, using the Forest Stewardship Council guidelines. This can add $3,500 in cost to a $700,000 home, according to a BusinessWeek article in its February 12, 2007, issue.

• Environmentally friendly bamboo can be used for flooring.

• Front loading washers use 60 percent less water and electricity than top loading washers, though most homebuyers of residential real estate purchase such appliances themselves.

• Solar panels pay for themselves within a matter of years, but homebuilders are finding them a hard sell. The upfront costs are about $25,000 on average.

• Satellite-controlled sprinkler systems for the lawn conserves a lot more water than conventional systems.

• Decks can be made of recycled materials.

Though such features add to the upfront price of residential real estate, which most current buyers are not willing to pay, the installation of solar-electric panels by homeowners is on the rise. According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, use of solar panels increased last year by 75 percent. This 8,512 increase, however, represents only a fraction of the one million new homes sold across the nation in 2006.

Help for environmentally friendly residential real estate may be coming shortly from three separate sources — federal, state and local governments. It is expected that the federal and state governments will soon make subsidies available to homeowners who install solar panels. The subsidies could cut the upfront costs by half. Additionally, the building codes of many local governments are much more environmentally friendly than in the past, forcing homebuilders to include green features in their new residential real estate.

Another plus for green residential real estate are the firms that supply the construction industry. Many now offer environmentally friendly products to the homebuilding industry in volume prices, making the use of green products more cost competitive. These efforts on the part of suppliers has decreased energy consumption in new residential real estate by 30 percent per square foot since 1970.

With all of these sources encouraging environmentally friendly residential real estate, green features may soon be standard in all new homes at a fraction of current costs.

John Harris
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/environmentally-friendly-real-estate-may-be-a-buyers-dream-but-the-price-is-still-too-high-for-many-131028.html

The choice of flooring can dramatically enhance the look and feel of a room so it is important to choose the right material and product. Flooring suppliers are giving home owners more choice than ever when it comes to flooring options and with carpets, laminate floors, ceramic tiles and hardwood flooring all on offer, finding suitable flooring is easy.

Carpets are available in a huge range of colours, patterns and textures to provide the perfect match for your taste. Plain carpets can be used in smaller rooms to create a sense of space whilst patterned carpets are often used in high use rooms to mask general wear and tear. Carpet flooring is popular in living rooms and bedrooms where a touch of comfort is always welcome. You can prolong the life of your carpet by rearranging your room periodically to prevent shuffle lanes appearing.

Laminate flooring has become increasingly popular since it was introduced over 15 years ago. There are hundreds of laminate flooring styles available including wood, stone, brick and tile. Laminate floors are often used by home owners who are looking for a cheap flooring solution whilst maintaining a stunning finish. The quality of laminate flooring is continually improving and many products now offer an incredibly cost effective flooring solution. Laminate flooring is constructed using high density fibre (HDF) board with a high resolution photo of the material on the surface. Manufacturers of laminate flooring use different techniques and systems so always follow the instructions provided by them when laying flooring.

Although laminate and carpet flooring can be used for bathroom floors, many flooring suppliers recommend the use of ceramic tiles or vinyl as they are water proof and easy to keep clean. Ceramic tiles can be used to add a natural look to a room and are popular in kitchens and bathrooms. The tiles are easily cleaned and very hard wearing. Slate flooring, with its cool appearance and clean lines, is one of the most popular choices at flooring suppliers. Other ceramic flooring options include marble, granite and terracotta, which can be used to create a Mediterranean look in kitchens and conservatories.

For the ultimate in chic and style however there is no other flooring cover that rivals the warmth and finish offered by a traditional hardwood floor. Although more expensive than laminate flooring, a hardwood floor will last a lifetime with some wood floors lasting over 100 years. Compare this to the amount of times a carpet will need changing and the price difference becomes less significant.

Wooden flooring is available in traditional woods such as ash and beech and more exotic options such as walnut and bamboo. Oak flooring is the biggest seller in Europe and the USA and is heavily produced on both continents. Different wood species offer varying tones, grain and durability. Hardwood flooring adds value to homes and is recommended for people who suffer from dust allergies.

Whilst wooden flooring is an attractive option is not suitable for every situation. Wood floors have to attach directly to the sub-base so therefore cannot be installed on concrete. Laminate flooring is installed as a floating floor and can therefore be used on a wider range of sub-bases. Laying flooring on a poor sub-base will affect the quality of the flooring and reduce its lifespan.

With cheap flooring options now available, home owners can change their flooring as often as they redecorate. Interior styles are constantly changing and flooring suppliers are constantly updating their products to meet demand.

Rami Nseir
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/a-guide-to-flooring-options-in-the-home-113313.html

My daughter’s first apartment was a real adventure. She and her dormitory roommate from college decided to move in together, even though neither of them had a lot of money. They had started in nice careers, but putting a deposit down on an apartment, buying basic furniture and paying off student loans used up a lot of their money. Using the decorating style known as “late basement/early attic”, they begged borrowed and stole some pieces but needed some unique decorating touches to make the apartment truly their own.

Their plan was to decorate the place and then invite all of the parents for a nice dinner and to view the results.

Well, their decorating efforts took about six weeks, but the day finally arrived and we were invited to dinner. I wanted to bring a nice house gift, and, knowing my daughter’s fondness for bamboo baskets, I filled one with soap, hand cream and small hand towels for her new bathroom. As soon as my daughter saw the basket in my hands, she started laughing. It was not until I stepped into her apartment that I realized what was so funny. There were bamboo baskets everywhere, since this is how they decided to have a unique and inexpensive decorating scheme. Bamboo baskets were placed around the room for various uses, there were bamboo place mats and the theme was carried to the flooring with grass mats.

The bedroom had an oriental theme, and large bamboo baskets formed the bases for her bedside tables. They were very sturdy and shaped like vases, and with a round glass on top, there were perfect to place a lamp, a clock and some books. Her closet organizing system was a series of bamboo baskets and a bamboo hamper.

I was very glad I brought a bamboo basket for the bathroom. Bamboo is a neutral color that goes in any room. My daughter said I gave her the idea to put some large baskets (to match the small one) on the floor of the bathroom to hold towels, since they had no linen closet to store towels.

I was very proud of how my daughter decorated her small apartment with a lot of taste and very little money. As she saves money to decorate, she can add on to these items and make it look even better. I’m happy she is having such a good time decorating her first real apartment and she is so proud to be doing it herself with money from her first big job.

A.Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/bamboo-baskets-in-japanese-decorating-101017.html

http://builddirect.com Co-Founder Rob Banks outlines some of the options you have when it comes time to install a bamboo floor.

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340 E. Randolph
Julie Varones
Rubloff Residential Properties
773-687-4692 (office)
email: jvarones@rubloff.com

Wonderful home at 340 on the Park! Never lived in three bedroom/three and one-half bath with spectacular views of Millennium Park, lake, Navy Pier and city! This sough-after East end unit features floor-to-ceiling windows, 9′ ceilings, bamboo floor, cook’s kitchen with GE Monogram appliances, Snaidero cabinets, Quartz tops and mosaic glass tile backsplash; two terraces and two garage spots available. Amenities: indoor pool, huge gym, club room and terrace.

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http://builddirect.com Co-Founder Rob Banks explains the differences between two subsets of bamboo floors - natural bamboo, and carbonized.

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Install of the new office bamboo floor complete, trim and all.

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considering buying from them..better selection than home depot/lowes and better prices than local flooring places. wondering about the quality/durability

Cali Bamboo is amazing. They have good floors. PLUS, I love bamboo:
Here are some good links about Cali Bamboo etc. Check it out:
Cali Bamboo offers strong, durable, and eco–friendly bamboo flooring and lumber products.

Bamboo Strength and Durability

Bamboo is a fascinating material due to its incredible strength, suistanability, and its natural aesthetic beauty. In structural engineering tests, bamboo has a higher tensile strength than many alloys of steel, and a higher compressive strength than many mixtures of concrete.

Bamboo has been used as a building material for the majority of the world for thousands of years. There are many examples of buildings constructed entirely of bamboo, which are now several hundred years old. Due to their strength, these bamboo structures have even withstood 9.0 magnitude earthquakes

Sustainability

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth. Some species have actually been measured to grow over 4 feet in 24 hours. A pole of bamboo can regenerate to its full mass in just six months! Bamboo can be continuously re-harvested every 3 years, without causing damage to the plant or the environment.

Here's a link:
http://www.findanyfloor.com/OnlineFloorStores/CaliBamboo.xhtml

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i have a 3rd floor condo and want to replace the carpet with a hardwood floor of some sort. I've been leaning towards bamboo but am open to suggestions. is there trouble with bamboo installation on concrete? will it hold up? i have no pets or kids.
above ground will i need to put something between the concrete and bamboo?

You only have a couple options going over concrete and each one will work fine since your on a 3 rd floor and moisture won t be a problem.
It may or may not be a true concrete. You may have litcrete or similar product that is used in apartments, hotels and condos for noise reduction. But its the same situation.
It won t be the traditions 3/4" solid hard wood since this cannot be glued directly to the concrete.
You must go to a glue direct 3/8 to 1/2 " engineered flooring system. These are very good floors. Or go to a laminate, floating floor or a engineered locking floating floor.
These floors will hold up excellent as long as they are maintained and cleaned properly.
The only way to do a true nailed down hard wood in your situation it to attach sleepers to the concrete and then a 3/4" ply to them and then the hard wood which raises your whole floor up a total 2 1/4".
Not practical in your situation.
Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar.. GL

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