[Greenbuilding] Bamboo flooring -- no magic bullet

[Steve T]

Here is a quick Googled list of formaldehyde free bamboo flooring (not all
inclusive, nor have I tried any of them).
http://www.bamboomountain.com/
http://www.bamboodirect.ca/
http://www.bamboohardwoods.com/index.asp
http://www.duro-design.com/index.cfm?page=home
http://www.greenfloors.com/HP_Bamboo_Index.htm

I don't know how long bamboo flooring has been marketed in the US, but "from
the beginning" generally means since I first found out about bamboo
flooring.  I am only defending bamboo's form and function because I like it
as a product.  It's "Greenness" or "not-so-Greenness" is a measurement you
will have to make on your own.

"All hype and no substance" is a bit over the top, don't you think?  I stay
away from mainstream media and choose my sources of information carefully.
I don't care what suburbanites on "The Early Show" say about anything, so I
guess I'm probably missing all of that "hype", but Hugg, Treehugger, Grist,
Celsias, etc. are not giving bamboo a free ride.  There has been quite a bit
of very useful discussion about the sustainability of bamboo if you know
where to look and where to stay away from.

Like I think I said in my initial post, I didn't buy the bamboo because it
was the most "Green" "sustainable" product out there.  I bought it because
it looks great and wears great and because it also just happens to be
"greener" than some other exotics and domestic hardwoods.  I'm not a bamboo
fanboy, nor do a play one on TV.  I'm just a homeowner looking for nice,
sustainable products with which to build my home.

On 6/14/07, Keith Winston <keith at earthsunenergy.com> wrote:
>
> Well, these questions have finally been raised in the last couple years.
> I'm not sure what you mean by "since the beginning." And still, today,
> in most circumstances when bamboo is raised, it's all hype and no
> substance. It's still "the worlds fastest growing plant" or some such. I
> just heard it from a world-class green building expert a week ago.
>
> Where have you seen satisfying answers to the questions you mention re:
> bamboo? I think one of the early reports, by Dovetail Partners, was
> linked here when it came out a few years ago (I might have been the
> person who brought it up...). There's an interesting article here:
>
> http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/09/bamboo_flooring.php#ch01
>
> that points out, amongst other things:
>
> -almost all bamboos have formaldehyde binders.
>
> I hadn't really realized it's not any harder than maple, at best. Of
> course, maple's pretty hard. You're right though, no free lunch.
>
> Keith
>
>
-- 
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act!"
-- George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)