TERAGREN ^TM
Solid strip and wide plank bamboo flooring, stair parts, panels & veneers
More Complete Information Below ~ Please Call Us With Any Questions

Harvesting & Manufacturing | Why Teragren? | Bamboo Attributes
UnFinished Flooring | PreFinished Flooring
Accessories | Installation | Samples & Shipping

Private Residence - Bamboo in Kitchen Vertical Grain, Caramelized Color Architect: T.Dawson Architecture in Hopkinton, MA

TERAGREN BAMBOO:
Another sustainable product that we offer here at Longleaf Lumber is Bamboo. An alternative to traditional new wood flooring, bamboo is a renewable and sustainable resource that grows to maturity in only 6 years or less. Hardwoods can take 30 to 120 years). Bamboo is a highly fibrous grass that requires minimal fertilization or pesticides and can be harvested without harm to the plant, just as a lawn can be mowed without hurting the grass.

BAMBOO HARVESTING AND
MANUFACTURING INFORMATION:
The Teragren factory has been awarded ISO 9001 status, an international indicator of the quality of their manufacturing process, including factory conditions. Workers at the factory are fairly paid, incoming materials are of a consistent nature, and the process itself runs at a high level of constant, reproducible quality.

Teragren bamboo is plantation grown by independent farmers on established plantations outside of Shanghai in China. Teragren specifies the sustainable harvesting of the bamboo upon maturity at six years, leaving behind a thriving plant and new shoots. (Some bamboo with other manufacturers is harvested earlier which means softer, less mature fiber for flooring. Not all bamboo has the same degree of hardness.) The bamboo is then sold to one factory in China where it is cut into strips to extract the premium part of the culm.

The strips are flattened then laminated with an environmentally safe adhesive under high pressure to produce planks for flooring and panels. The company's products have formaldehyde levels 48 times lower than OSHA standards allow. The planks are treated to eliminate pests and mildew, kiln-dried to remove moisture, then milled.

Although pandas do like bamboo and use it for food and habitat, Moso (the timber bamboo used to make this flooring) is not a food source or habitat for pandas.

WHY TERAGREN?:
There are many different bamboo flooring companies in the market now. We chose to work with Teragren and are continually impressed by their commitment to their high-quality product, the environment, their customers and to their employees in their factory in China. Teragren has a fantastic reputation and is dedicated to its mission of environmental, social and economic responsibility.

Teragren has always been available to us and our customers with technical and installation advice and information. Their flooring and complete line of accessories are of the highest quality, which is as important to us as it is to our satisfied customers. In addition, their local distributors keep a substantial inventory ready to ship.

Finally, Teragren carries strong warranties for their products: a 25-year residential or commercial structural warranty as well as finish warranties -- 25 years for residential and 5 years for commercial.

BAMBOO ATTRIBUTES:
Bamboo is a very hard flooring material. On average, it is harder than White Oak and Rock Maple. The flooring is also treated to prevent insect and mildew damage and conforms to fire-prevention standards. The milling for all the flooring options includes a tongue and groove on the sides and end-matching on the plank ends. Bamboo is also dimensionally stable (2.5 times more stable than commonly used wood flooring) which means that it shrinks and swells much less, resisting warping, shrinking and gapping.

There are 4 different options in terms of style and color:
The two different styles of flooring are Horizontal (Flat) and Vertical Grain. Horizontal or Flat grain flooring is laid-up with 3 layers of flattened bamboo slats adhered together. When you look at the floor from above you can see the bamboo nodes. Vertical grain flooring is comprised of stalks that are glued together vertically. You see a smaller portion of each stalk, and the nodes are less noticeable.

There are 2 colors for each style. Natural is a light blond color similar to maple, and Caramelized is a dark amber color similar to young teak. This darker color is not a stain, but a process of pressure heating the fiber at the factory, which darkens the sugar compounds in the fiber. Please note that bamboo is a natural product, and color variation will occur.

UN-FINISHED SOLID BAMBOO FLOORING:
Both grain styles and colors are available in un-finished flooring.
~ Solid strip flooring, called Signature, is available in bundles of multiple precise lengths of 2', 3', 4' and 6' and also available in bundles of all 6' lengths. The flooring has a width of 3-5/8" and a thickness of 5/8" (Flat grain) or 3/4" (Vertical grain). This flooring can be nailed/stapled or glued down. This flooring is square edged.
PRE-FINISHED BAMBOO FLOORING:
Both grain styles and colors are available in pre-finished bamboo flooring.
~ Solid strip flooring, called Signature, is available in bundles of multiple precise lengths of 2', 3', 4' and 6'.  The flooring has a width of 3-5/8" and a thickness of 5/8". This flooring can be nailed/stapled or glued down. This solid-strip style is also available with the flat grain in four new stains.  This flooring has a beveled edge.

~ Wide Plank Flooring, called Craftsman, is available in a width of 5-1/2", length of 6.3' and 5/8" thickness. This is solid bamboo flooring with a cross-ply bamboo core for extra stability. This flooring can be nailed/stapled, glued down or floated.  This flooring also comes with a beveled edge.

~ A Floating Floor option, called Studio, is available with widths of 7-11/16", lengths of 6' and a thickness of 5/8".  The floating floor is great for below-grade applications and is made completely of bamboo. The floor's self-locking system is installed without glue and the edges are squared. Studio floor is now available in the Synergy style.

STRANDED BAMBOO FLOORING:
~ Teragren now also makes a pre-finished stranded flooring, called Synergy, with widths of
3-3/4", mixed lengths of 2' - 6' and a thickness of 1/2".  With this floor, bamboo fibers are fused together with an environmentally safe adhesive under extreme pressure.  It is twice as hard as red oak.  Perfect for commercial as well as high traffic residential installations.  An additional top coat of polyurethane has been added to this flooring.  It can be stapled or glued down.  Edges are beveled. There are four color choices available: wheat, java, chestnut, and brindle.

Teragren has a 7-Coat finish system: (1) UV cured Sealer, (2) Anti-abrasive Sealer with aluminum oxide, (3, 4, & 5) UV cured Sealer, (6 & 7) Anti-Scratch Polyurethane topcoats, which are water-based, solvent free, 100% solids and non-off-gassing. The finish is low gloss / matte.

	ACCESSORIES (Un-Finished & Pre-Finished): Stair Treads:        Bull nosed on one long edge.        Thickness: 1-1/16" thick (for both flat and vertical grain).        Width: 11-1/2" wide.        Length: 48" & 96" long.   Stair Risers:        Thickness: 5/8" thick (for both flat and vertical grain).        Width: 7-1/2" wide.        Length: 48" & 96" long.
Private Residence Flat Grain, Natural Color Architect: Cyma2 in Newton, MA	Nosing:        Thickness: Either 5/8" (flat) or 3/4" (vertical) on the thin side.         The thickness on the bull nosed side is 1-1/8".        Width: 3-1/2" wide.        Length: 74" long.

4INSTALLATION INFORMATION:
Specific Installation and Acclimatization Instructions are available for all the Teragren products. Please ask us for details or follow this link to the installation information at the Teragren website. In general, installers should follow the NOFMA or NWFA installation guidelines. Bamboo flooring should be installed in a fashion similar to the installation of most premium grade hardwood flooring.

Teragren does not recommended using their solid strip unfinished or prefinished flooring below grade due to potential moisture problems in the slab, and they will not warranty such an installation. For below grade installations, please consider their floating floor.

Bamboo is an ideal choice for radiant heat systems because of its dimensional stability.

Finishing and Staining: Bamboo flooring accepts standard finishes, stains* and paints including water-based, natural oil and wax, and oil-based Swedish finishes. Shellac and lacquer are not recommended for use as a floor finish. * Please note that bamboo stains like Maple -- NOT easily.

Bamboo flooring should be maintained in a manner similar to other hardwood floors. If maintained, bamboo floors can last a lifetime. When the finish wears down, the floor can be re-coated without sanding. If the finish wears off, it can be sanded again and refinished. You can usually get 4-5 sandings out of the floor (which is a lot in one lifetime if the finish is maintained).

SAMPLES & SHIPPING:
Please call or e-mail us if you are interested in receiving samples.