Bamboo Flooring Refurbishment and Daily Maintenance

More and more families are choosing bamboo flooring during renovation because of its beautiful appearance and ease of replacement. If your home has had bamboo flooring for over a decade and the style is outdated, refurbishment is not a difficult task. Below, we introduce how to refurbish bamboo flooring and how to perform its daily maintenance.

🛠️ How to Refurbish Bamboo Flooring?

1. Measure and Prepare Materials: Before refurbishment, accurately measure the dimensions and plan the materials efficiently. The cut ends of bamboo flooring planks must be sealed with clear varnish to prevent moisture absorption.

2. Laying the Floor: When starting the installation, place small wood strips (1.2*1.2cm) along the base of all surrounding walls. Begin laying the flooring longitudinally. The groove side of the first plank should be placed tightly against the wood strip. Subsequent planks should be laid sequentially, fitting the tongue-and-groove joints and tapping them moderately to ensure a tight fit. Any short pieces needed to complete a row should be used along the transversal walls. Ensure the horizontal joints are staggered between rows.
   

3. Removing Spacers: After the entire floor is installed, remove the wood strips placed along the wall bases.

4. Installing Baseboards (Skirting): Use full pieces of flooring to install baseboards (quarter rounds or similar) around the perimeter to cover the expansion gaps. Secure the baseboards to the wall with wood screws or bamboo skewers. The areas where the screws or skewers are placed can be dabbed with a matching color (or clear) lacquer/paint. Finally, use wood trim of the same thickness to decorate the upper edge of the baseboards.

✨ How to Perform Daily Maintenance for Bamboo Flooring?

1. Maintain Stable Indoor Humidity: It is crucial to keep the indoor humidity stable while using bamboo flooring.

   • In dry regions (especially during heating season): Use methods like a humidifier or placing a basin of water on the heater to regulate the humidity indoors.

   • In humid summer weather: Open windows frequently for ventilation to keep the interior dry.

   • Regular ventilation helps chemical substances in the flooring dissipate outdoors and allows the exchange of moist indoor air with drier outdoor air. This is especially vital when the home is unoccupied for extended periods. A common practice is to frequently open windows or doors to create air circulation, or use air conditioning/ventilation systems to create a dry and clean indoor environment.

2. Avoid Direct Sunlight Exposure and Rainwater: Direct sunlight accelerates the aging of the finish and adhesive, and can cause the flooring to dry out and crack. If the flooring is wetted by rainwater, the bamboo will absorb moisture, leading to expansion and deformation, which can even result in mold growth in severe cases. Therefore, be extra cautious during daily use. Areas where sunlight or rainwater directly enters the room through windows can damage the bamboo flooring.

In summary: Bamboo flooring is a premium decorative material, non-toxic, firm, stable, does not delaminate (unglue), and does not deform, offering excellent insect resistance due to special harmless treatments. While refurbishment is straightforward, it is best avoided unless necessary to save time and money. Focus on effective daily maintenance, especially keeping the indoor environment sufficiently dry.