All about bamboo flooring

I have a small apartment with small balcony. I like this rug from target http://www.target.com/Bamboo-Outdoor-Patio-Rug-Natural/dp/B0010XIIEQ/sr=1-2/qid=1211412135/ref=sr_1_2/602-9568711-9081408?ie=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038618&rank=price&rh=k%3Apatio%20rug&page=1
how do I care for it? Or should I not bother all together? I am trying to make my balcony look nice I hate the floor, as it is cement and has cracks. My balcony has an overhang so it would not be directly in the elements.

It says you just wipe it clean with a damp cloth. You may want to consider something like this (not this particular style, but this type of rug)

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Courtyard-Crescent-Chocolate-Natural-Rug-53-x-77/3055653/product.html?

I have one and I just toss it in the bathtub when it gets dirty and rinse with the shower. If you have access to a hose you can use that too.

This is the third summer I’ve had mine and it still looks as good as when it was new. I live near the ocean so it gets very dirty from the salt and sand and more than one bird has made a contribution, but I just sweep the worst off and then wash in the tub.

There is a lot of natural light coming through the windows and the skylight in this area. The cabinets are light colored oak and counter tops are beige. The floor is tiger strand bamboo (which has shade of light and dark browns mingled together). I also want to recover the cushions on my chairs after the walls are painted so if you could also suggest coordinating colors I would appreciate it.

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/visualizer/
Experiment with this site. How about "red tomato" or "rave red"?
Scroll down to see them:
http://www.materials-world.com/paint-colors/sherwin_williams/color_options/sw_color_options_10.htm

all things being equal.

Not if you’ve purchased 3/4" wide (or thereabouts) planks. They’re tongue and groove and install exactly like hardwood flooring does. You can use 2" L cleats or 2" Crown staples to attach them to your subfloor. Underlayment paper is optional, but it’s usually inexpensive and worth the extra minimal effort.

When deciding to transform your house into a stylish home, you can use different approaches to the various parts of the house in order to minimize your renovation costs.

- The Interior Design Approach

1. One approach that you can employ is by focusing your renovation design towards your staircase. You can change the design of your staircase to make it appear more cozy and modern or use wooden materials with carving designs to have a more traditional and yet stylish look. Redesigning your staircase would also depend on which part of your house, it is located.

2. Once you have redesigned your staircase, the part of the house where it is located should also follow to match with it. If it’s in the living room, then the living room should be redesigned as well. In renovating your living room, you can repaint the walls to match the color of your staircase railings. If the railings are made of wood, then it would best to have a wall paint colored beige or other variants of earth colors. If you still prefer a light colored wall, you can repaint the base of the wall with a darker tone of brown.

3. Aside from transforming the staircase or the ceiling you may also redesign the flooring of your house. A quick and easy way of doing this is by replacing your old flooring with laminate floorings. You can choose from the variety of materials that are used for laminate flooring. For example, if your theme is the more traditional look, then you may use the laminate flooring which resembles wooden parquet flooring. If you are looking for a more environmentally sound floor, then one of the incredibly stylish and durable bamboo flooring options currently on the market may well be a better choice.

- Transforming by Changing the Furniture

4. If renovating the entire interior of the house is too costly for your budget, you may opt to buy new furniture to replace those old and tired looking pieces that are an eyesore. You can purchase new designs of living room sofas with matching sleek and modern center and side tables. 5. You can also purchase a made to order bar if your living room has more space to accommodate this. A living room bar adds excitement and style to any boring traditionally styled living rooms.

So there you have it, five simple yet extremely effective tips for transforming your house into a stylish home. Have fun!

Tom Willmar
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/five-home-improvement-tips-to-help-you-transform-your-house-into-a-stylish-home-90217.html

The tablet pen falls on the floor gently and suddenly the entire fucking tablet won’t work. Its a "Bamboo Fun" tablet, for anyone who cares. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled 5 times, downloaded a new driver, and restarted the computer numerous times. At first only the pen didn’t work but now the mouse that comes with the tablet won’t work either. And the little bastard tablet knows when one of them touches the surface because the light on it lights up, but it still won’t let them WORK.
What is wrong?! Is it honestly that delicate of a piece of shit?
Note I’m incredibly angry, so sorry about the cursing.
Yeah, and the stupid thing is, it was working literally 2 seconds before the pen fell on the floor. So if anything, its probably the tablet’s fault, or at least the pen’s fault. I’ve only had this tablet for 17 days so I suppose I should just return it.

Don’t take the tablet apart! That will void the return policy. If you’ve only had it 17 days and it’s stopped working, I’m certain Wacom or the store where you bought it would replace it.

I had a similar problem with a Wacom Graphire, but I just replaced it because it was old and rickety anyway. I don’t know about the tablet itself, but the pen is quite delicate – the problem with mine was that the tip had moved just slightly and so it was over-sensitive and thought the pen was clicking all the time. I imagine the opposite is quite possible as well.

If you’ve tried everything obvious I can only suggest that you return it for a replacement – you may have a faulty unit.

I am a single mother who is thinking of buying a house that needs a little fixing up. From what I can see it will need new windows, a small wall built for a bathroom, a new front door and new porch. They have completely redone the kitchen already and have bamboo flooring ready to install. The house is priced low enough that I can afford it no problem, but I’ve never bought a house that needs any work before. I am going to get it looked over very closely before I make any offer, but I just wanted any advice any one has who may have ever bought or had an older house that needed some work. Thanks

I am a single mother who is thinking of buying a house that needs a little fixing up.

Hi,
New windows, door & porch are more than a little fixing up. Add the price of those repairs + the offer will equal what you’re really paying.

I live in a condo building that has rules, regs and actual laws we must follow. There are NO exceptions to this unless it is in writing and documented.

Saying this about a year ago one of our homeowners put up a bamboo fence on her second floor balcony and it’s not authorized, docemented or approved anywhere in our docs. I was told by the lady that the old president of the board last year told her not to worry about it. Nobody would care.

1.) her unit faces a neighboring hotel. She claims the bamboo is there for privacy. She also claims it’s there for security as anyone from the second floor can climb over the railing from the cat walk. ( it’s flimsy material and really could n’t act as a barrier.

Our current board has myself and the old president and the new people on it. Part of our jobs is doing monthly walk throughs and this fence issue came up a a rule infraction.

2out of 3 board members said not to inforce the rules to this unit due to the hotel thing.
I was a bit suprised because upon investigation of all or our governing documents nothing giving this fence exemption from anything has been found., anywhere.

I asked if I could get board approval on the same fence and told no by the board majority.

I have my unit facing on the backside of the building and have my neighboring apartments that can look right into my unit too. The privacy isl lacking an would also like the same exact fencing ot be granted to me. Wen I asked why I got a "no"

One member said I had a vendetta against this woman, one said that we have always allowed partitians on the side of the property for years.. ( no docs anywhere )

We also have a rule adopted by the HOA in 2004 that clearly states the only approved fencing on this balcony is a fine mesh wire that can act as a barrier as our metal bars are 10 inches apart and could be dangerous to pets… that is the ONLY approved item. My atty wrote a letter reqesting the same fence 4 me.
The atty is a friend of mine who is doing this for a "freebie" it’s just a letter asking for the same accomodations.. no threats of being sued at this time, just reinforcing that I mean business.

You’ve just stated the exact reason why I don’t like condos.

I would drop it and move on.

for the below reasons:

1. Provide more continuity since the kitchen is right "next door".
Our wood floor in the kitchen is stained red oak.

2. Our carpet is badly stained (thanks to messy kids and naughty 5
lb. chihuahuas). We’ve been told hardwood floors are easier to keep
clean when having to wipe up after the Chihuahua (thank goodness
she is not a big breed).

3. We are hoping our Chihuahua doesn’t even soil the new hardwood
since all prior scents will be gone — and FYI she has never gone on
our hardwood throughtout the house (fingers crossed!)

So here, finally, is my question:

In speaking with several friends who are really involved with animal rescue and often foster cats and dogs until a home can be found for them — they have all recommended BAMBOO wood flooring. They say it is not as attractive to dogs with housebreaking issues — but easier to clean if there are any "accidents". It is less expensive, but I wonder if it is durable and will last as long as traditional wood floors — and also would they be able to match bamboo with my existing kitchen red oak flooring?

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated!

I would suggest a different floor colour, or have the kitchen flooring restained to match the new floor. Bamboo is getting rave reviews. Personally I do not know anything about it, but talk in detail with the people you know who have it. You might want to consider laminate, or tiles, but tiles can be cold on the feet in winter if you have that. Laminate is inexpensive enough that it can be replaced in a few years if needed. Tiles (ceramic or Porcelain) can be extremely durable with animals. You can replace your flooring with wood, but the problem is the colour. If you can bring home samples (most flooring stores allow this) to hold up against your kitchen floor you will be able to get a better idea of what will look great and be what you need while living with animals in training. Be sure to have a very indepth conversation with the professionals at the flooring store..they can suggest ideas for durability/scratch resistance flooring.

With over fifty species of wood to choose from, determining which one is best can seem like a daunting task. The easiest way is to decide first what look you want.

Other than the type or species of wood, three other factors determine the appearance and cost; grade, cut, and finish. The grade is determined by color, differences in grain, and the presenge of imperfections such as knots, wormholes and saw marks. There is no universal grading system because each type of wood has different standards for ideal color and grain uniformity. As a rule, wood is more expensive if it has more consistent color and grain. For informal rooms, some prefer the inconsistency and interest gained by such flaws as knots. Most wood for flooring is plain-sawn. Quarter-sawn and rift-sawn boards generally have a denser, straighter grain. Boards that are purchased unfinished are usually less ex-pensive. Today you are more likely to find pre-finished boards. Many have as many as six coats of finish, compared to site-finished floors with two or three coats. Because pre-finishing has been done in a controlled environment, the products come with longer warranties. Other advantages to pre-finished flooring are there will be no sanding dust or finishing fumes during their installation.

Hardwood is being installed in every room in the house today, even in the more humid environments of the kitchen and bath. It is highly recommended that you put a throw rug by sinks and tubs to prevent excess water from damaging the floor. Also wipe up any spilled water quickly. Wood floors are not as ideal in bathrooms where showers are taken daily, especially by children, because there is often too much water on the floor and too much variance in the temperature and humidity.

To help you decide which wood is best for your home or business, here are the pros and cons of the five most popular types.

Red Oak is the most common wood sold. It has a coarse, even and sometimes rippled grain. The color is a very subdued pink. It looks good in traditional interiors and is more refined than pine. Oak is a hardwood that resists splitting during installation. It stains well and holds up to heavy traffic. Because is can cup or turn dark, it is not the best choice for kitchens and baths.

Pine offers lots of character for a lower price that oak. It has a more distinct grain pattern that ranges from swirls to stripes. The colors vary between tans, browns and yellow. Some customers choose pine for its black sap stains and clear or pink knots. Because it is easy to nail and resists splitting, it is less expensive to install than other species. Because pine is not as hard as oak, it is not suitable for damp or high-traffic areas.

Brazilian Cherry is salmon colored and has a medium spaced grain pattern that darkens with age, especially with sun exposure. As a wood used in many fine furnishings and cabinets, it is perfect in formal settings. Cherry is more than twice as hard as oak and is moisture resistant, so it will hold up in kitchens, baths, hallways and entryways. Because it is so hard, it splits more often during installation, making it advisable to order ten percent extra to allow for waste.

Australian Cypress has a wavy, busy grain pattern. It comes in both brown and cream hues. The dark knots that often mark cypress give it a rustic look, ideal for traditional designs. Because it is slightly harder than oak and handles humidity well, it is fine to install in busy, humid areas. Because the knots weaken the wood, causing splitting during installation, order an extra ten percent. Like cherry, cypress can be difficult to stain.

Bamboo is technically a woody grass. The only pattern is the square burl pattern from the nodes along its shoots. The color is a yellowish blond. Because of its uniformity, it is best used in sleek, contemporary interiors. It is a perfect choice for the ecology minded customer because bamboo shoots grow very fast compared to trees. It is hardwearing and water resistant. Because sanding is difficult, it is nearly always factory finished.

Terry Gates
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/choosing-the-best-hardwood-floor-61548.html

Bamboo has become such a popular plant in recent times; not only can you grow and enjoy it but it’s use in other areas such as wood flooring and as blinds is rapidly gaining in popularity. Then there’s the human version in the shape of musical band Bamboo Manalac which just like it’s plant namaesake, is climbing in the popularity ratings!

The Bamboo Orchid

So what about bamboo orchids? It would probably surprise many garden enthusiasts that bamboo orchids even exist but they certainly do! In some areas they are considered somewhat of a pest but in general, they excel as a decorative plant, enhance any flower arrangement and produce a distinct fragrance.

Bamboo orchids can be found scattered throughout areas in southern Asia and also the pacific islands. They are a popular form of decorative plant in Hawaii and can also be found in countries such as Costa Rica.

Characteristics Of The Bamboo Orchid

Bamboo orchids can be a little fussy to grow as orchid lovers in the western world are finding out but essentially, by following some well-worn guidelines, they can be grown with good success.

The bamboo orchid is also known as Arundina and it can grow to heights of 6-8 feet and is a multi-perrennial plant. The flowers generally bloom during summer and autumn and can produce up to a dozen flowers. The foliage of the plant has a grassy appearance while the flower itself is either lilac, lavender or mauve, depending on your interpretation of color flanked by a white disc and either a purple or yellowish lip.

Growing Bamboo Orchids

While bamboo orchids can make a great indoor plant and add a touch of variety to any home decor, growing the orchid outside in ground requires just a little know-how. If you are about to take the plunge and embed one in your garden try the following tips for best results:

- Avoid planting in a wind-prone area and give the new planting as much space as possible. In other words, don’t crowd the orchid as it can be a little claustrophobic.

- Make sure the plant is in a position to attract plenty of sunlight, especially during the morning with a little extra cover during the hottest part of the day.

- You want to ensure the orchid is kept fairly moist although avoid putting it in an area where flooding is likely to occur. If this is a scenario you’re concerned with either put it in higher ground or elevate the ground where you intend to plant it.

- The soil can be kept moist simply by providing a good cover of mulch while in rainfall deficient areas, watering every 2-3 days is required. Applying intermittent doses of fertilizer during the year will be appreciated by the orchid in fact, a slow release fertilizer every couple of months should do the trick.

- Bamboo orchids appreciate warm conditons so if you live in an area where temperatures drop drastically at night, then it may be wise to plant your bamboo in a pot because cold temperatures are not something they appreciate.

Bamboo orchids are creating more and more interest among plant lovers and given their attractive nature when in bloom, are an interesting addition to any “green thumb’s” cache of flora.

Dean Caporella
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/bamboo-orchids-under-the-spotlight-five-growing-tips-you-can-try-124075.html