Replies

1. 
   aimless | Jan 14, 2005 08:00pm | #1

   Get yourself over to Breaktime (the Fine Homebuilding forum) and do a search for Bamboo Radiant. I know there's a guy over there by the name of Cloud Hidden who has done exactly that and raves about it. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that he used a high quality of bamboo so he has less issues with formaldehyde offgassing.

1. 
   RBean | Jan 14, 2005 10:21pm | #2

   formaldehyde offgassing?

   Not heard of this before - what can you tell us?RBean

   http://www.healthyheating.com

   http://www.healthyheating.com/blog

    

    

1. 
   aimless | Jan 14, 2005 11:20pm | #3

   Most bamboo flooring material is assembled in China, and most of it uses formaldehyde glues. Some companies use a cheaper formulation which puts off more gas, other companies are sensitive to air quality and are careful to meet US and European(stricter) standards. My gut tells me that when you heat something up it is going to offgas more, so I'd be even more conscious of who the manufacturer is when putting what is essentially an engineered material over radiant heat.

1. 
   RBean | Jan 15, 2005 12:43am | #4

   This is useful information...thanks!

   We have the same concerns with petroleum based slip sheets (asphalt paper) and radiant.

   Can you point to a source, document etc...that we can reference.

    

    RBean

   http://www.healthyheating.com

   http://www.healthyheating.com/blog

    

    

1. 
   aimless | Jan 15, 2005 02:01am | #5

   Once upon a time I had many links to third party (green-building type) information on bamboo flooring and formaldehyde content, and then I changed computers and didn't bother to bring over my shortcuts. So these are from a quick google of 'bamboo floor formaldehyde':

   http://www.toolbase.org/tertiaryT.asp?TrackID=&CategoryID=1402&DocumentID=2006

   http://www.buildinggreen.com/products/bamboo.cfm

   And a couple of suppliers, we used Bamboo Hardwoods (during the period when they were experimenting with non-formaldehyde containing glue) and found them easy to work with. The flooring was prefinished, no-bevel, and installed with a standard pneumatic assisted stapler.  I like the flooring a lot and have not noticed any problems with offgassing whatsoever (OSB makes me wheeze). The guy I mentioned on Breaktime used Teragren, back when it was Timbergrass, and has been very happy with his install as well. He finished his on site, and it is over radiant heat so he's an even better recommendation. I've also heard good things about Greenwood, but I don't know much about individual installations or formaldehyde content.

   http://www.teragren.com/tera_flooring/adhesive.asp

   http://www.bamboohardwoods.com/Bamboo_Floors.pdf

2. 
   RBean | Jan 15, 2005 02:45am | #6

   Thanks again.<!----><!---->

   Will check into these.<!---->

   Out of curiosity have you ever personally experienced or know of anyone who has experienced out gassing with roofing felt between hardwood and radiant?<!---->

    RBean

   http://www.healthyheating.com

   http://www.healthyheating.com/blog

    

    

3. 
   MisterSteve | Jan 25, 2005 04:56am | #7

   If you felt over the radiant, how do you avoid the PEX with the staples?

4. 
   RBean | Jan 25, 2005 05:41am | #8

   The project we were involved in was a light weight concrete pour between sleepers. 

   Then plywood was installed over top of the pour and fastened into the sleepers.

   The felt paper was then layed ontop of the plywood and the sleepers were chalked out using markers placed before the felt went down.

   The hardwood was installed over top of the felt.

    RBean

   http://www.healthyheating.com

   http://www.healthyheating.com/blog