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i hear you bob, with regards to keeping warm here and condensation, cooking etc etc.
but i guess any wooden top would get scorched- or is the boo more likely.
i thought the green in the boo was that it grows so fast , and is a sustainable product- will have to research the glue thing a bit.
i must say the wooden floors look very neat- and was considering it- but guess not anymore

Hey Wayne, if you're concerned about burn marks – then buy the pre-burned bamboo . Really! It is heated and caramelized to a dark colour, but the process degrades its integrity some. I prefer its look – it would make a nice top I think.

If you're concerned about inhaling formaldehyde from the bamboo adhesive (assuming there is any), don't be. There are more than enough enough air changes in a Mac that the small amount given off will be dispersed as fast as it can be emitted, and it becomes less of a concern as it gasses off in time (and then no smell). But any process done in China should be scrutinized more closely for quality control and chemical claims of being “green” at the source too.

If you're prone to worry- there are always the unreacted polyester resin solvents in the fibreglass interior of the boat that might be of more concern. After 3 years people still comment to me “Oh it smells like a new boat”. Yeah – but that can be a bad thing I say with my inside voice, even with copious ventilation.

In the case of a modern house that is so well sealed and airtight that you might worry about offgassing of the bamboo (or carpet etc) – you likely needn't there either. If its properly built for our climate then it will also be equipped with a Heat Recovery Ventilator (or Enthalpy Recovery Ventilator in some regions) that will bring in fresh air and remove stale air and carry the fumes away as fast as they are emitted.

Not that the bamboo is any more susceptible to burning, we do a ton of cooking on the boat and use a two burner white gas so things can heat up pretty good. It's true that generally it is considered green due to the growth rate of bamboo compared to hardwoods, but a lot of these companies would have serious egg on their faces were it to be found out that their product was loaded with chemicals…doesn't project the green image they go for…that being said there are companies that really just don't give a sh*t
And as Seahouse points out double check Chinese manufactured products…if lead can find its way into children's toys regularly I dare to think what's in their flooring products?

excellent points seahouse and bobbie- good reality check.
i too do lots of cooking, and am about to in stall a two plate alcohol stove.
just like the bamboo for its texture and to lighten up the interior.
will have to try and get some now, and get on with it1

so yukon, being a canuck and a flooring fella, where is the best place to get the flooring- as i dont really have the opportunity to shop around, i have to buy it, and ship it out to this island- any insight would be appreciated
thanks
wayne

RobertB wrote:Do not understand why bamboo is described as tricky - except ignorance (one retailer said the same thing one day, and the next week told me it was the best product - figure).
Bamboo is a manufactured product using stranded bamboo, resin, heat, and pressure. Hardness is in the range of South American hardwoods. Stability is off the charts (the resin makes it so). Can sand and finish like wood. It does dull cutting tools (installers would not like this) - Fein tool blades dull quickly and I will be replacing my chop saw blade soon (a band saw is great for trimming). It also requires a lighter gauge flooring nailer (18 gauge). Hand nailing requires first drilling a hole for the nail. On the other hand, the product is very uniform, only had one defective board in 450 sq feet so far. Waste rate is extremely low. Last tool I would recommend is a power plane for fitting boards on long runs. Other great attribute - it is relatively inexpensive at less than $4 sq ft.

Yes, that's it. He said it's more difficult to install bamboo because the resin is so hard. Have to predrill nails etc.
The admiral really likes the look of it. I think it would be a good flooring for a bathroom or place with high moisture because it's not susceptible to moisture like most woods.

I replaced my ugly carpet with cheap wood flooring from Lowes. It looks so much better and is easier to keep clean. Wipes off or a small brush to clean up. That carpet was both ugly (beige) and a collector of junk. I suppose you can carefully roll it up and shake it out, but that never worked for me. Maybe it was just that cheap low pile stuff the factory supplied. Maybe a thicker pile would be better.

Moisture isn't a big deal for us, but I can certainly see how it could be. What about putting something breathable under it? Drill holes in the floor for water to drain to the bilge? My Hunter had gorgeous teak floors. They weren't laid over glass however. Bilge directly under. Teak is a bit pricier though.

--Russ

Wayne nicol wrote:so yukon, being a canuck and a flooring fella, where is the best place to get the flooring- as i dont really have the opportunity to shop around, i have to buy it, and ship it out to this island- any insight would be appreciated
thanks
wayne

My options are as limited as yours. Usually around $4 a sq ft. $3.50-$3.75 if you wait and talk to a dealer at a trade show ect. We can order out of Edmonton for cheaper but unless you are willing to drive the 40 plus hours there and back and haul a sh*t ton back with you the shipping kills us here to.

Watch when buying bamboo as well. There are generally two varieties, laid parallel and cross cut. I have never had the chance to work with the cross cut as no one seems to like the look of it, but I'd just be cautious as it may be a real pain detail a finished edge on it. The parallel stuff can be routered down to whatever detail you can find, but going across the ends can be tedious as it tends to fray / splinter.

Watch when buying bamboo as well.

Along that line there is a huge differences in each type. When we bought ours for our kitchen the salesman put down 3 bamboo samples with three hardness levels and hit them all with a hammer to show the difference. We still went with the cheap one...first party and it was full of dents from high heels, eventually we will replace it with something else.

i thought of using some bamboo flooring, and glueing it all together, using sash clamps, and thus creating a board for the galley top!

That could work but you have to decide what to do for edging and would probably want to glue it to a sub layer underneath. I did some similar projects using unfinished oak flooring seconds, it was under $1 a board foot since they are small pieces, but works fine to glue up and use for other projects.

In my usual role as the keep-it-simple guy, we actually made the decision to stick with bare soles, not even the carpet. Cleans easily, drains easily, looks better than dirty carpet, and is low maintenance.

mastreb wrote:In my usual role as the keep-it-simple guy, we actually made the decision to stick with bare soles, not even the carpet. Cleans easily, drains easily, looks better than dirty carpet, and is low maintenance.

There is some merit in that! We are reverting back to the carpets for this season.

I decided that replacing the carpet was the best idea for me. I went to a remnant store and bought some wild looking carpet to sexy up the cabin By the way, the Admiral likes it.

Ray

NiceAft wrote: I went to a remnant store and bought some wild looking carpet to sexy up the cabin

hahahaha

Did you have the edges bound? They look like they fit well.

Yep

NiceAft wrote:I decided that replacing the carpet was the best idea for me. I went to a remnant store and bought some wild looking carpet to sexy up the cabin By the way, the Admiral likes it.

Ray

Hmmm. Leopard print. Do they purrrr???