We've had a light bamboo floor throughout our house for over 10 years. We have pets, and they have had accidents that we missed. Dried urine! And it just wiped up; no stain. It is looking a bit scratchy if you look at it in the direct sunlight, but if you weren't looking for it, you'd never notice.
Thanks for the tips to deal with scratches. We bought Cali Bamboo because of how strong it is, but we weren't told how easily it scratches. I've scratched the floor when I accidentally caught a pebble when "swiferring".
I’ve got the Vintage Port solid bamboo. Had it almost 3 years it’s awesome. In SC and it’s humid in the summer and dry in winter. No problems. I did lay let it acclimate for almost 3 months.
Thanks for years ltr reviews very helpful I will be installing this hand scraped bamboo in my new home . Definitely always better to use wood products on wood floors especially . As soon as I get new home hopefully 6 months to a year . Stay safe and healthy. Thanks for sharing .
We have Cali Bamboo Luxury Plank Vinyl throughout our home including the kitchen and bathrooms. We got the Gray and the pro one with the under pad. Two old people (hubby and me) and two elderly dogs. We have had it for over a year and have no complaints. Bought through Lowe's and had their contractor install it.
I have had my Cali floor almost 7 years. Except for the faulty install where some boards have huge cracks it's been superb. The installer used the wrong size nails and refused to fix it. Because it's nailed down and the material is so hard I can't chance a DIY job. Other installers have looked a the areas and refused to touch it. I would definitely go with the product again but use a different installer.
I think they might have pens now. Email, message on Facebook or Twitter and ask. I had a million questions before we bought our flooring. I had a rep call me and was extremely helpful.
Dark bamboo floors are treated “chemically” to darken it. This decrease the hardness and strength of the bamboo. So will easily scratch and damaged while the light coloured floors are much harder and substantially more scratch resistant.
Please don’t feel bad about having gotten the dark flooring. It looks absolutely gorgeous. Not sure if the product you used is non toxic etc. But it might be worth trying covering scratches with a strong coffee solution.
I've found that, if I'm quick, I can get the sharpie wiped off with a damp finger. Furniture finish repair sticks also work. I don't have Cali bamboo, but I have another kind that has been here for over ten years now. Similar dark color.
@@HowtoHacks Mine does, still has the new floor smell to me:) Not sure if it was just that batch I got has stranger than usual smell, or it is me being sensitive to the smell. Again, thank you for sharing your experience, very informative and easy to watch :)
Any suggestions on how I can join the planks closer together? Mine has separated in about 5 places in our bedroom, Lowes had them installed with a 12 month warranty and 15 months later I am having problems.
What product do you use to clean the floor? Also, the only Sharpie pens that I can find anymore have a skinny point on them; any idea of where to find a thicker point? Thanks for the help
How to hacks - have you noticed any shrinking between the boards?? We are looking to put it in our kitchen, but tge rep at Lowes said it can shrink badly? I'm thinking that's more about proper installation..??
I haven’t had any issues like that. It could be because they installed the floating floor. I nailed mine down. Also they could have climatized the flooring incorrectly.
Did you use a moisture barrier before putting floors.? And what type of underlayment did u use? My friend has it and it almost has a hallow sound when u walk.
Yeah i used an underpayment. It was a synthetic material that you purchase by the roll. Can’t remember the name. Got it at Lowe’s. The underpayment helps with moisture control as well.
An index finger, some rub, and a bit of dabbing will probably not be sufficient after several years of a renter rocking your property. (A humorous contrast). [This is just an observation, and not in anyway reflecting upon this helpful video] Thank you for your time,
There’s a lot of factors to consider. Will you be doing it or hiring someone? What is the exact square footage of the rooms you are going to install in? When I installed it was $5 a square foot and I installed myself. It cost me over $5,000 for the material but I can’t remember exactly. If you’re paying someone to lay the floor those prices can vary a lot depending on where you live and who is doing the work. Hope this helps
@@HowtoHacks Sorry about the slow reply! I forgot I asked you a question. Thank you, that does help. They really market this floor as being high heel and pet friendly because of it's hardness, but it looks like it scratches just as easily as hard wood floors. Do you have any dogs in your house? What do you think about the claims?
Karen Lucktenberg I do have a dog. The floor can scratch but the finish is durable. I only have issues with scratches under furniture. This floor is extremely dent resistant.
I've been considering CaliBamboo but a lot of reviews say they have separation, cupping, bulging, expansion issues between planks. You have anything like that? Maybe because you nailed it down?
No. I haven’t had anything like that. It’s hard to say why some have that experience. It’s most likely an installation issue. Bad reviews are usually disproportional online.
What kind of relative humidity is in your home. As Chris has stated many people are concerned about buckling due to expansion. How could so many people be installing incorrectly? I also read for the Bamboo flooring I've been looking at. That it recommends a latex glue down method because it allows for the correct expansion of the board. Any tips and advice on this?
@@jakeblakeman654 If you're concerned about buckling from expansion and contraction I would go with a floating floor installation. That way the floor has no attachment to the subfloor at all and can move. If you do this you can even use a padded underlayment. I live in northern Indiana and it's gets very humid in the summer and dry in the winter. So, we experience the extremes.
I Live in Utah where it is extremely dry and very rarely humid so we most likely will buy an HVAC humidifier to get relative humidity at 35% the lowest our warranty allows. it is however offputting on how many people I've seen having this issue.
STAY AWAY!!! DO NOT BUY CALIBAMBOO. THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS VERY FRAGILE. I would not recommend calibamboo at all!!!! It was a nightmare to install and it's a cheap product even though I spent a fortune on my 3,000 Sq ft home. We regret this purchase. 😪
Sorry to hear that. Did you install the floating floor? I had the nail down floor. This flooring is very hard. This means there isn’t a lot of flexibility and it will crack and splinter at times and the groove can splinter when nailing. However, I found if you use the correct nails it is minimal. I know this because I initially started laying the floor with fasteners I had on hand and there were issues. I then switched to the recommended nail gun and nails and the issues were minimal.
I love the years later reviews. ty for this
We've had a light bamboo floor throughout our house for over 10 years. We have pets, and they have had accidents that we missed. Dried urine! And it just wiped up; no stain. It is looking a bit scratchy if you look at it in the direct sunlight, but if you weren't looking for it, you'd never notice.
Carolyn Hines hi, what do you use to clean it? My floor looks faded with streaks. Drives me crazy!!!
@@stephsunshine395 sand it and reseal it, maybe even bleach it depending on its natural color
Thanks for the tips to deal with scratches. We bought Cali Bamboo because of how strong it is, but we weren't told how easily it scratches. I've scratched the floor when I accidentally caught a pebble when "swiferring".
I like how you went up the wall with it! I thought I was the only one who figured out the sharpie trick, nice!
Thanks. Yeah the sharpie is a lifesaver.
I’ve got the Vintage Port solid bamboo. Had it almost 3 years it’s awesome. In SC and it’s humid in the summer and dry in winter. No problems. I did lay let it acclimate for almost 3 months.
Thanks for years ltr reviews very helpful I will be installing this hand scraped bamboo in my new home . Definitely always better to use wood products on wood floors especially . As soon as I get new home hopefully 6 months to a year . Stay safe and healthy. Thanks for sharing .
You’re welcome
We have Cali Bamboo Luxury Plank Vinyl throughout our home including the kitchen and bathrooms. We got the Gray and the pro one with the under pad. Two old people (hubby and me) and two elderly dogs. We have had it for over a year and have no complaints. Bought through Lowe's and had their contractor install it.
Thanks for the information. That’s good to know.
I love mine and so happy I choose it
I have had my Cali floor almost 7 years. Except for the faulty install where some boards have huge cracks it's been superb. The installer used the wrong size nails and refused to fix it. Because it's nailed down and the material is so hard I can't chance a DIY job. Other installers have looked a the areas and refused to touch it. I would definitely go with the product again but use a different installer.
I just bought and had this cali bamboo fossilized wood installed. Looks great 👍
It’s beautiful
I am surprised they don't sell touchup 'pens' to match the color like they do for auto paint
I agree they should
I think they might have pens now. Email, message on Facebook or Twitter and ask. I had a million questions before we bought our flooring. I had a rep call me and was extremely helpful.
Dark bamboo floors are treated “chemically” to darken it. This decrease the hardness and strength of the bamboo. So will easily scratch and damaged while the light coloured floors are much harder and substantially more scratch resistant.
Lighter floors also hide dirt, dings and scratches better.
Oh thanks for pointing that. I guess not all bamboo flooring is VOC free then. Sigh…
Thanks so much for the follow up review. I’m looking for something that can hold up to my 4 insane kids and 2 medium-sized dogs.
You’re welcome
try the Varathane markers for a better match
This was super helpful. Thanks!!
Please don’t feel bad about having gotten the dark flooring. It looks absolutely gorgeous. Not sure if the product you used is non toxic etc. But it might be worth trying covering scratches with a strong coffee solution.
Nice suggestion. Thanks.
Agreed, love the dark flooring!
I've found that, if I'm quick, I can get the sharpie wiped off with a damp finger. Furniture finish repair sticks also work.
I don't have Cali bamboo, but I have another kind that has been here for over ten years now. Similar dark color.
Beautiful floor! Thank you for sharing:) Did your cali bamboo floor have any new floor smell?
Thanks. No smell really.
@@HowtoHacks Mine does, still has the new floor smell to me:) Not sure if it was just that batch I got has stranger than usual smell, or it is me being sensitive to the smell.
Again, thank you for sharing your experience, very informative and easy to watch :)
Any suggestions on how I can join the planks closer together? Mine has separated in about 5 places in our bedroom, Lowes had them installed with a 12 month warranty and 15 months later I am having problems.
Is it a floating floor? Or was it nailed/glued down?
@@HowtoHacks It's a floating floor with Cali Bamboo green thin sheathing on concrete floor, then planks directly on top.
peanutbutter1925 you can try this or a block of wood with double sided tape and a hammer. m.ruclips.net/video/CE3FeTNT7nI/видео.html
How do you clean the floor? Water no water? Vinegar/water solution? Something special? I see different "rules" online, so not sure what's best...
I use the Bona cleaning solution for laminate floors
@@HowtoHacks Does Bona release CH2O from these things that are made at an unknown location?
That cracked me up
This guy reminds me of me with the " there's a scratch! let's use multiple products to fix it...
What product do you use to clean the floor? Also, the only Sharpie pens that I can find anymore have a skinny point on them; any idea of where to find a thicker point? Thanks for the help
Here is a link to the sharpie I used.
amzn.to/3DOn27D
Here is a fat tip sharpie
amzn.to/3Rhlo1k
Here is the cleaner I used.
amzn.to/3dCa7et
How to hacks - have you noticed any shrinking between the boards?? We are looking to put it in our kitchen, but tge rep at Lowes said it can shrink badly? I'm thinking that's more about proper installation..??
I haven’t had any issues like that. It could be because they installed the floating floor. I nailed mine down. Also they could have climatized the flooring incorrectly.
THanks
They have change the core last year or 2, it not solid bamboo anymore -about 1/8 inch -of bamboo now - so the quality is not the same as your.
They have solid AND engineered
Did you use a moisture barrier before putting floors.? And what type of underlayment did u use? My friend has it and it almost has a hallow sound when u walk.
Yeah i used an underpayment. It was a synthetic material that you purchase by the roll. Can’t remember the name. Got it at Lowe’s. The underpayment helps with moisture control as well.
They sale wood colored markers
I just used a black and brown sharpie. I’m not sure if they sell special colored markers
We are getting ready to have some bamboo flooring installed. Do you recommend in a bathroom?
It would probably be fine. I always lay tile in bathrooms but it’s just my personal preference.
I have it in my bathroom it is still great after 3 years even with our 7 year old Granddaughter living here!
An index finger, some rub, and a bit of dabbing will probably not be sufficient after several years of a renter rocking your property. (A humorous contrast).
[This is just an observation, and not in anyway reflecting upon this helpful video]
Thank you for your time,
Thanks
How to Hacks, my home is about the same size as yours. We were thinking about putting this in 1/2 the house. About how much would it cost to do that?
There’s a lot of factors to consider. Will you be doing it or hiring someone? What is the exact square footage of the rooms you are going to install in? When I installed it was $5 a square foot and I installed myself. It cost me over $5,000 for the material but I can’t remember exactly. If you’re paying someone to lay the floor those prices can vary a lot depending on where you live and who is doing the work. Hope this helps
@@HowtoHacks Sorry about the slow reply! I forgot I asked you a question. Thank you, that does help. They really market this floor as being high heel and pet friendly because of it's hardness, but it looks like it scratches just as easily as hard wood floors. Do you have any dogs in your house? What do you think about the claims?
Karen Lucktenberg I do have a dog. The floor can scratch but the finish is durable. I only have issues with scratches under furniture. This floor is extremely dent resistant.
I've been considering CaliBamboo but a lot of reviews say they have separation, cupping, bulging, expansion issues between planks. You have anything like that? Maybe because you nailed it down?
No. I haven’t had anything like that. It’s hard to say why some have that experience. It’s most likely an installation issue. Bad reviews are usually disproportional online.
What kind of relative humidity is in your home. As Chris has stated many people are concerned about buckling due to expansion. How could so many people be installing incorrectly? I also read for the Bamboo flooring I've been looking at. That it recommends a latex glue down method because it allows for the correct expansion of the board. Any tips and advice on this?
@@jakeblakeman654 If you're concerned about buckling from expansion and contraction I would go with a floating floor installation. That way the floor has no attachment to the subfloor at all and can move. If you do this you can even use a padded underlayment. I live in northern Indiana and it's gets very humid in the summer and dry in the winter. So, we experience the extremes.
I Live in Utah where it is extremely dry and very rarely humid so we most likely will buy an HVAC humidifier to get relative humidity at 35% the lowest our warranty allows. it is however offputting on how many people I've seen having this issue.
@@HowtoHacks I would also say to go with the engineered bamboo for environments with high or fluctuating humidity. Correct?
what is the model number of the planks?
Not sure of the model number. It called Antiqued Java and it’s from Cali Bamboo.
Did you use the solid or engineered?
Solid
do you have the 5inch or 3.75 inch planks
5 inch
Old English been around for years
what color is this?
Fossilized Java
I’m putting the same floor in currently
HAHA WHY THE CLAPPING
I thought is was funny. It was a royalty free sound effect from imovie.
Did you use a wood or vynal product?
Brad Selzer the flooring is bamboo with some resin to bind the strands together.
Yes a 200 lb pressure of a chair makes a mark but a 5000lb pressure of a ball bearing does not....
5000 lbs will press the ball bearing halfway. The scratches are just light surface scratches in the finish.
STAY AWAY!!! DO NOT BUY CALIBAMBOO. THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS VERY FRAGILE. I would not recommend calibamboo at all!!!! It was a nightmare to install and it's a cheap product even though I spent a fortune on my 3,000 Sq ft home. We regret this purchase. 😪
Sorry to hear that. Did you install the floating floor? I had the nail down floor. This flooring is very hard. This means there isn’t a lot of flexibility and it will crack and splinter at times and the groove can splinter when nailing. However, I found if you use the correct nails it is minimal. I know this because I initially started laying the floor with fasteners I had on hand and there were issues. I then switched to the recommended nail gun and nails and the issues were minimal.
@@HowtoHacks Yes we did the floating floors.