Our FAQ Page:
How do I receive samples?
For free samples simply fill out our online request form. Samples of the flooring are free but we do include a invoice with the samples for the cost of postage and handling. Payment is optional so you can elect to pay and help us keep our pricing at its current level or you can disregard the invoice. We only charge for the courier cost and the rate will be calculated based on your address and the number of samples you order.
How do I order flooring?
Do you have a print catalog you can send me?
Currently, we do not offer any printed catalogs of our products since all of our products are featured on this site. We ask all of our customers to help us by viewing our products online so that we can keep with our mission of not using resources to print up and send hard copy catalogs.
Do you have a showroom or somewhere where I can view the flooring before buying?
We are not a retail store but a Direct Importer / Wholesale Direct to the public warehouse operation based in the City of Industry south of Los Angeles, CA.
Currently we do not offer a walk in showroom and only provide samples via our online request form. The samples will be mailed directly to the address you provide on the form. We ship our flooring products all over the country and since most of our customers are out of state we have decided to keep our over head and prices low by eliminated the high cost of maintaining a walk in showroom.
May I see the product before I buy?
We are unable to show you the products as we use are privately owned facilities and all products are in factory-sealed boxes. We suggest ordering a sample and reviewing the graphics on the website. You do have the option to purchase larger samples and or you can even order a box of the flooring to review prior to making your final purchase.
Do you offer any discounts to tradespeople?
The prices we show on our website are our best prices up front. If you can meet our minimum purchase requirements of 300 square feet we will sell to you regardless of whether you are in business or a private home owner.
If you are willing to pick up at our warehouse there is not minimum for the order.
What are your shipping policies?
We ship throughout the country. Depending on the weight of the flooring selected, you can expect shipping cost to range between $.40 to $1.00 per square foot for very remote locations.. Keep in mind you are paying wholesale prices and you will not be charged any sales tax on your order. We use various trucking companies, and rates will vary. Once your order is ready to leave our warehouse and is picked up, you can expect anywhere between 3 to 7 business days until it arrives at the terminal in your town. After the order is shipped and once it arrives at the terminal in your are the trucking company will call you for pick up or to schedule your home delivery.
Do you ship to residences? How does that work?
Yes. A residential delivery is considered completed once the product is placed on the driveway. Some products require a vehicle with a lift-gate, depending on weight. The pallets would be lowered to the ground and pulled onto your driveway with a pallet-jack. You may be required to unload the vehicle yourself, depending on the product. wood flooring materials are very heavy and will require proper equipment or labour to accept goods on delivery. Strand woven bamboo floor weights approx 3.5 lbs per sq.ft. with all other bamboo and or wood flooring weighign approx 2 lbs per sq.ft.
Please pay attention to the weight of goods so you are properly prepared.
What are the size options for the bamboo flooring?
Bamboo flooring planks come in many different sizes, but the industry standard for the horizontal or vertical grain version is the 3 foot plank by 3 3/4 inches wide by about 5/8 inch thick plank. The 3 foot horizontal or vertical version is limited to a nail down or glue down installation method. For floating installation we recommend the 5 inch wide random length or 6 foot length planks. The 5 inch wide plank can also be glued or nailed down.
The Strand Woven Bamboo that is 9/16 or thicker is suitable for floating installation methods. The 12 mm or 1/2 inch should be installed using glue down or nail down only and is not suitable for floating installation methods.
Is bamboo flooring solid or engineered and what is the difference?
All Bamboo flooring is technically engineered. Unlike solid maple or oak flooring, there is no such thing as solid bamboo. It does not exist. Anybody that tells you different does not know what they are talking about. All bamboo flooring is bonded or laminated together during the manufacturing process. That makes it engineered. Most bamboo flooring is 100 percent bamboo with many strips of the bamboo bonded or laminated together, and some higher-end versions of the flooring use the multi-ply core with a top wear layer of bamboo. The flooring is built this way for a couple of reasons. First, the factories are able to make wider and longer planks of bamboo flooring without the flooring cupping or warping as bamboo flooring made solely of bamboo may do at that size. Second, it is built with the birch multi-ply core for stability in climates that are not safe for regular bamboo flooring. This would include climate zones with seasonal extreme weather changes and high moisture or humid areas. Many customers are under the assumption that they are not getting the full value if the product is not all bamboo, but this is not true. The core or multi-ply birch core, as it is known in the industry, is much higher in cost than the bamboo itself. So once again, it does not matter if it is horizontal grain, vertical grain, or strand woven. All bamboo flooring is engineered. The above was written by Michael Krause, owner of California Bamboo Flooring. You may contact me directly for further discussion or to have any questions answered.
What is bamboo and where does It come from?
The great Bamboo Forests of the world belong to China, so most of the bamboo flooring of the world is grown, processed, and manufactured into flooring in China. It is then shipped to the west coast of the US, mostly Los Angeles, and re-shipped throughout the country. So even if you purchase your flooring from your local supplier, if you have one, it most likely came through Los Angeles first.
Bamboo is an extremely fast-growing plant. In fact, bamboo grows one-third faster than the fastest growing tree. Some species (there are about 1200 in the world) can grow up to 3 - 4 feet a day and up to 60 feet in height within 90 days. Bamboo grows so fast that you can almost "see it grow". Bamboo is truly nature's renewable resource. When harvested, bamboo does not require replanting. Mature bamboo has an extensive root system that continues to send up new shoots for decades; so, harvesting does not harm the plant, which will produce more timbers. The bamboo we use, primarily the Moso specie (phyllostachys pubescens) grows in Zhejiang province (southeast of China), which is harvested for 4 to 6 years. At that time, the plant reaches 90 feet in height and 8 to 12 inches in diameter. This bamboo is the hardest of all the bamboo species and is used for our flooring products as well as 100% bamboo paneling and plywood up to 8 feet long and 4 feet wide.
What does "Carbonized Bamboo" mean?
Carbonization means taking the natural color planks and pressure heating it. This process turns the natural color into brownish color (it is not a stain).The longer it is heated, the darker the sugar compounds in the fiber become. All planks will have a minimal color variation due to bamboo's inherent nature. This will not affect the look but rather enhances the appearance of the flooring.
What colors are available?
There are two main colors to choose from: Natural (light) and Amber (dark).
In its natural form, bamboo is a light blonde color. When Bamboo is heated with steam and smoke, the carbonized grains take on a color that is darker throughout. This is not a stain, but rather the result of the steam and heating process. The resulting color is an Amber / carmel hue.
What about the finish?
Our bamboo flooring is factory-finished with 6 coats of Acrylic Urethane, which is a very tough and stain-resistant form of urethane. During the application process, microscopic aluminum oxide and ceramic are also added to the Acrylic Urethane for added scratch resistance. No floor is scratch-proof, so when necessary, the floor can be easily re-coated by applying an additional coat of urethane formulated for floor use. If seriously damaged, the floor can be sanded and refinished up to 3 times depending on the depth of the damage.
Brief History
Bamboo Flooring is used extensively throughout Asia as a superior alternative to rainforest hardwoods. Gaining a reputation as a tough, durable, and value-enhancing flooring system, it is fast-becoming the ideal choice as an affordable surfacing material for residential, commercial, and sport courts usage. Bamboo Flooring is one of the environmentally sound and sustainable wood-floor products, and it is not wood at all.
Bamboo is a highly fibrous grass product grown and harvested from the controlled bamboo forests of the Guangzhou Zhujiang province on mainland China. Maturity is reached in just three to five years. It is cut into long strips, and then it is glued together in layers to form an engineered product. Because it is laminated like plywood, it doesn't expand and contract with changes in temperature and moisture. Thus, gaps, cupping and warping are less likely to form, making it's stability one of the advantages over other solid wood. The plant grows in segments separated by nodes creating slightly darker patterns at random intervals in every strip. Bamboo Flooring is available in natural or carbonized, either unfinished or pre-finished with three coats of UV cured polyurethane. It can also be sanded and finished like other traditional flooring.
General installation conditions
Even though bamboo flooring is very stable dimensionally, care should be taken to prevent exposure to high moisture conditions before, during, and after installation to ensure a trouble-free long-lived floor. Bamboo Flooring installation is the same as with standard tongue and groove hardwood flooring. Bamboo flooring is manufactured with a moisture content range of 6 to 9 percent. If you are concerned about a high or low moisture environment for your floor, allow the flooring to acclimate to your location for several days by unpacking the bamboo and making small piles in the rooms where it will be installed. This precaution will allow the bamboo to expand or contract prior to installation and minimize any possible gaps or swelling. A moisture meter should show no more than a 3% difference between the moisture level of the sub floor and the bamboo flooring prior to installation. Sub floor material should be no less than 5/8" thick for proper fastening strength. A high moisture crawl space may prevent achieving the desired 3% moisture range between the two materials. In such case a vapor barrier, such as a 4 to 6 mil polyethylene sheet can be laid over the soil to prevent migration of vapor from the soil into the sub floor material.
Before installation
The sub floor must be solid, level, clean, and dry. Fifteen pound building paper should be laid directly onto the sub floor as a vapor barrier. This building paper will also serve to minimize squeaks caused by small movements in the flooring. Leave 1/4-inch space between flooring and wall to allow for any expansion. Two-inch long flooring nails, or 2-inch, 15-gauge flooring staples with a 1/2-inch crown should be used with a pneumatic or mechanically operated floor nailer. These nailers are struck with a rubber-faced hammer to drive each board tightly up against its neighbor while simultaneously driving the fastener through the tongue of the flooring and into the sub floor. Care should be taken to properly space the nails 8 to 10 inches apart along each floorboard and at least 5 inches away from each end. Bamboo flooring can also be installed over a concrete slab with an approved adhesive. If the glue-down application is the method chosen, we recommend using a premium wood flooring adhesive such as Bostik's Best. Flooring should be square with the space and parallel to its longest dimension. Leave 1/2-inch expansion space from base plate or wall. Starter rows should be held firmly in place by wedging or blind nailing. Once starter rows are secure, use adhesive in a Wet-Lay or Walk-on-Work method of installation. Wet Lay Method: Apply adhesive to substrate with suitable trowel. Immediately place flooring onto "wet" adhesive. Walk-on-Work Method: Apply adhesive to substrate with suitable trowel, and allow it to develop tack (may take an hour or more depending on temperature and humidity). Install flooring onto "tacky" adhesive. Immediately roll finished installation with 150# roller. Room, flooring and adhesive should be conditioned at room temperature for 72 hours before and after installation. Work out of multiple (2-3) boxes. Bamboo is a natural product and has natural color variations. Bamboo flooring is separated by shade at the factory. There are no standards for this, so the shade differences between cartons may be noticeable. Mixing cartons creates a natural, random shade effect. As with a wood sub floor, care should be taken that the concrete is flat, clean, and dry. Be sure to test the moisture content of the concrete slab to stay within the 3% recommended moisture range between the flooring and slab. Use any high quality wood floor adhesive available, such as Bostik, following the manufacturers recommendations for trowel notch size.
Cleaning
No alkaline cleaning agents should be used. Such agents may cause strong yellowing and color changes. Do not damp mop. Excessive amounts of water can cause your floor to cup or swell. Do not use wax, oil soap or other household cleaners on your floor.We recommend Bona Swedish Formula Hardwood Floor Cleaner by BonaKemi USA, Inc.Finishing: Bamboo flooring comes un-finished and pre-finished. Bamboo flooring can be re-finished like any other hardwood floor surface/ Floor sanding requires the use of special sanders designed for wood flooring. Re-finishing is a highly skilled profession. For the best results we recommend employing a professional flooring contractor. After sanding, be sure to apply the first coat of finish the same day that sanding was completed. This prevents moisture from being absorbed into the flooring preventing rough, raised grain appearance. The floor can be finished with commonly used products for wood flooring, including penetrating sealers, pigment-wiping stains, moisture cured urethanes, and polyurethane's. Be sure to test a sample piece before proceeding with the entire floor. Do not Wax.
