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...
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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.
