Bamboo Flooring Jargon Buster

Bamboo Flooring with props

Bamboo Flooring Jargon Buster

This entry was posted on September 19, 2014 by chris elliott
You may encounter quite a bit of jargon in the world of bamboo flooring, so we thought we'd put together this Jargon Buster. By the end, you should know what a Floating Floor is, what the Janka Hardness Scale is used for, and quite a bit more... Bamboo Flooring Jargon Buster

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Acclimatise – Allowing the bamboo flooring to naturally adjust to the temperature and humidity of the area where it is to be installed.

Adhesive – A glue used to bond the bamboo floor to existing the subfloor.

Anti-Slip Bamboo Flooring – A bamboo floor with a unique finish to reduce the risk of slips.

Bamboo Flooring – An eco-friendly and durablefloor covering made from Bamboo grass.

Beading – A flooring accessory which covers an expansion gap when installing flooring against existing skirting boards - sometimes known as quarter round.

Carbonised - A process where the bamboo is smoked to produce a darker colour of flooring.

CFA (Contract Flooring Association) – A regulatory body that aims to promote the highest standards of professionalism, safety and training while at the same time providing essential expert information to ensure quality and productivity.

Cleaning – The process of removing unwanted dirt or water from the flooring surface.

Click System – An installation system that allows flooring planks to be clicked and locked together. It is the quickest and easiest ways to fit a floor.

Damp-Proof Membrane (DPM) – A ground barrier that protects against moisture penetrating the subfloor and/or bamboo floor.

Durability – The relative strength of a bamboo floor.

Engineered Bamboo Flooring – Flooring made up by bonding multiple layers of wood together with a top layer (wear layer) of bamboo. The base layer, which cannot be seen once installed, is usually plywood.

Expansion gap – a gap of at least 10mm that must be left around the perimeter of a room and anywhere that the flooring may contact a fixed object, for example: doorways, fireplaces and radiator pipes.

Flexible Flooring Adhesive – A glue that bonds the bamboo floor to the subfloor allowing natural movement to occur.

Floating Floor – An installation method where the bamboo flooring is not attached to the subfloor. It is clicked or glued together and floats over an underlay.

Flush Reducer – A flooring accessory that reduces the flooring down to a lower level.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – A global organisation dedicated to the responsible management of the world’s forests. The FSC ensure that the harvest of bamboo (and timber) maintains the forest’s natural biodiversity and ecological processes.

Grain – The pattern or effect that the bamboo creates on the planks of flooring.

Horizontal Bamboo Flooring - Strips of bamboo have been glued together horizontally to form a plank of flooring, providing a wider grain effect.

Janka Hardness Scale – A scale used tomeasure the hardness of flooring species in comparison to others.

Lacquer – A type of protective finish that has been added to bamboo flooring. The most common types of lacquer are satin-matt and matt.

Levelling Compound – A self-levelling product designed for smoothing out or raising subfloors in preparation for flooring installation.

Loose laid – An installation method where the bamboo flooring is not attached to the subfloor. It is clicked or glued together and floats over an underlay.

Moisture Content (MC) – The amount of humidity and/or moisture that is present in a subfloor.The MC of a subfloor should be checked before installing any bamboo floor. If the MC is too high the bamboo floor may expand and contract, causing irreparable damage.

Moisture Meter – An electronic meter used to check the amount of moisture in a subfloor.

Natural Bamboo Flooring – Flooring that is the natural colour of bamboo.

Pipe Cover – A flooring accessory that surrounds the base of pipework to radiators.

Quarter Round – A flooring accessory which covers an expansion gap when installing flooring against existing skirting boards - sometimes known as beading.

Riba (Royal Institute of British Architects) – A professional body for architects which allows specification of exact and detailed products (e.g. flooring choices) on technical drawings and plans.

Rustic Bamboo Flooring – Bamboo flooring that has had a black stain applied to make it look older and more ‘rustic’.

Screed – A mixture of sand and cement used on top of a concrete subfloor to create a smooth, level surface.

Secret Nail – An installation method where a nail is fired at a 45 degree angle into the tongue of a T&G floor board. The nail is hidden from view and secures the flooring planks to the subfloor.

Secret Screw – An installation method where a screw is angled through the tongue of a T&G plank at 45 degrees. The screw is hidden from view and secures the flooring planks to the subfloor.

Skirting – A flooring accessory designed to cover expansion gaps between the flooring and the wall.

Solid Bamboo Flooring – Flooring made entirely from bamboo.

Staining – The process of applying a colour stain to change the appearance of the bamboo floor.

Stair Nosing – A flooring accessory that covers the stair tread at a 90 degree angle.

Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring – Bamboo fibres have been compressed under extreme pressure and heat to create a exceptionally strong and durable plank of flooring.

Subfloor – The existing floor in a property. The most common types of subfloor are: joists, concrete, wooden floor boards, plywood or chipboard.

T-Moulding – A flooring accessory that covers the join between two floors which are the same height.

Threshold – A flooring accessory used when installing bamboo floor over carpet edges and perimeter walls.

Tongue and Groove (T&G) – A traditional method of flooring installation. The flooring plankshaveone long side and one short side with a tongue (protruding edge) and one long side and one short side with a groove (rebated edge).

Under Floor Heating (UFH) – A form of heating which is installed underneath a floor and is usually controlled by a thermostat.

Underlay – A middle layer between the subfloor and the bamboo floor that is usually used for thermal resistance and/or sound proofing.

Uniclic Bamboo Flooring – Bamboo flooring with a specially designed click fitting system to allow for quick and easy installation.

Vertical Bamboo Flooring – Strips of bamboo have been glued together vertically to form a plank of flooring, providing a thin grain effect.

Wear layer – The bamboo top layer of engineered bamboo flooring.

WPVA glue – Water resistant glue used to bond the tongue and groove joints of bamboo flooring.

For questions relating to any of The Bamboo Flooring Company products, telephone 0116 2741050 or email mail@bambooflooringcompany.com. Thanks for reading.
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