starnd bamboo floor now 'cupping'-can we sand to remedy? Xpost

13 years ago

Do you know what cupping is? I had never heard of it, but apparently we did not let the strand bamboo "acclimate" before installing. My DH put a moisture barrier over our concrete slab floor, the put the starnd bamboo in using glue. He did not jut it right up to the wall, he left a bit of room at the edges for the bamboo to expand.

Unfortunately, now there are "waves" (peaks) at each joint. When the light hits it a certain way, it is VERY noticeable. It is also easy to feel under bare feet. We are very disappointed.

My DH thinks it can be sanded out? And restained? What are your opinions?

I said, "well, if we ever fall into a pot of money, maybe we can remove it and put something else in." He said removing a glued down floor would be a nightmare. Opinions on that, please?

I am cross posting this on the Flooring board.

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

User
13 years ago
I agree with your hubby on removing a glued floor. It can be done, but oh what a mess and it's very time consuming.

As for refinishing I would think it could be refinished. By what I read online "solid bamboo" can be done two or three times. I could not find anything about refinishing "strand" bamboo, but I believe it's considered solid.

I did find this bit of info that might suggest that yes, it can be refinished.
"The best alternative is strand woven bamboo flooring because the bamboo plank is made by compressing strands of bamboo under high pressure. The result is a very strong plank with a Janka Hardness Rating of 3000 PSI (pounds per square inch) meaning strand woven bamboo is twice as dense and thus twice as hard as oak."

Here is a link that might be useful: You might find this article helpful.
lucillle
13 years ago
What kind of moisture barrier? Some do not work, and sometimes that is due to slab moisture problems.
annzgw
13 years ago
Whether the floor can be refinished depends on how cupped it is and the type joints it has. If it's tongue and groove then when it's sanded you'll remove part of the groove and could end up with a large opening between each board.
If there's moisture coming thru the concrete then refinishing is a waste of time.....IMO.

From what I've heard, a couple of coats of sealer, then a vapor barrier is needed on concrete. Even then, some installers still don't recommend gluing down 3/4" hardwoods, but only thinner engineered woods.

I would talk to installers, and even pay for their time, to figure out the best approach before ripping out the floor.
deeinohio
13 years ago
I feel like crying for you. We installed a bamboo floor in our bonus room a few months ago and started gluing (That's a royal "We", I actually mean DH and DS)and what a mess!! We stopped and rented a nail gun and nailed it instead. I remember your floors and they were beautiful. I don't have any suggestions, but hope you find a solution.
Dee
amysrq
13 years ago
DM, I don't have any advice for you, just a big, sympathetic virtual hug for you. I know how hard you guys have been working and I am so sorry to hear about this problem. If it is any consolation, I have heard of it happening to professionals, too. What a drag.... :-(
dirtymartini
Original Author
13 years ago
ahhh, thank you guys so much! I appreciate all the sweet comments. Anyone that recognizes my name knows that this house is our pride and joy (as humble as it is) and we plan on staying here a very long time. We are trying to do things "right"...even if it takes longer to do them. I know there is a lot of disdain for the "weekend warrior" DIY-er...we know plenty of those types. My DH prides himself in the fact that he can build a house from the ground up...electrical, plumbing, floors, roofs, etc. Of course, because he can do all of that, he is not "specialized" in one area. Usually, he knows his limitations. He has said to me many times, ""Wow, I know how to do ____ usually, but this needs an expert."

He has put down quite a few wood floors. I don't know if it was the concrete slab that messed him up, or dealing with bamboo rather than wood. We tried to ignore it. At first, I told myself it was "texture" on the floor. I originally wanted a hand scraped wood, so I told myself "Ok, here is that textured look I want!" We both tried to pretend it was not happening. We cannot deny it anymore, and it makes us sad because our floor was a BIG deal to us. We hate that we are on a budget and can't get the best wood, nor can we pay anyone to install.

Hi justgottobeme! That link did not work. I think you are right about refinishing, but I am worried about the tongue in groove that annz mentioned.

lucille-I need to find the bucket in the garage. I do not know what type it was, but it was whatever the saleman at Lumber Liquidators told us to get (yes, I know, that is part of our problem right there...listening to salesmen at LL!)

Thank you Dee! Haha...I do the same thing..."We" this and "We" that...but it is all my poor DH! The glue was indeed a mess. He was ready to nail down a hardwood floor, so not sure why he diecided to glue, I think there was a reason, tho.

Thanks amy-I think my DH feels extra bad about this. I really don't want him to.

I hope we find a remedy. I will keep cheching this thread. Thanks!
User
13 years ago
Hi DM. Can you share pictures of the floor? If you get down on the floor with the right lighting, as in morning or late afternoon sun, it should show us what it looks like. I can only imagine how you both feel. I'd be crying if it were our home. We do most of the work ourselves too. We've often said we should write a book to help others know what to and not to do when building a home. Much would help those remodeling too. We've had two homes built and were the contractor for this one and we still found there were things we wish we would have known ahead of time.