Why Teragren
Questions to ask before you buy
As with any product you use on a project, you want to have confidence in the quality, durability and consistency of the bamboo flooring, cabinetry panel, parquet butcher block or veneer that you select. Here are some questions to ask as you search for the right bamboo product and the right bamboo source.
Is all bamboo flooring alike?
No. Some bamboo flooring lasts longer. Some installs more easily. Some can be easily re-coated. Some emits VOCs like formaldehyde at much lower levels. It all depends upon how it is manufactured. Teragren provides an abundance of choices in flooring style, colour and installation method, as well as information on our specifications and test results available here on our web site.
Is there a grading system for bamboo flooring?
No. Traditional hardwood flooring is graded (No. 1 Common, Select, etc.) according to certain standards. However, no U.S. or international grading standards exist for bamboo flooring. You must rely on the manufacturer's standards and warranties. Teragren bamboo flooring, for example, comes with a 25-year structural warranty and a 25-year residential/5-year commercial finish warranty (except for Spectrum flooring).
How hard is the bamboo?
Hardness is the main factor in durability. Bamboo flooring can be as soft as pine and harder than maple depending on the species of bamboo used and when it was harvested. Teragren specifies only Optimum 5.5™ Moso bamboo harvested at maturity (5-1/2 to 6 years) when fiber density peaks. As a result, Teragren bamboo averages 25 percent harder than red oak and 12 percent harder than North American maple. (Teragren's Synergy strand bamboo flooring is twice as hard as oak due to our patented manufacturing process.) Here on our web site, you will find Janka ball test results and other performance data on every Teragren product.
What kind of finish is used?
A durable finish is the first line of defence for lasting beauty in wood floors. On Teragren prefinished products, we use a water-based, solvent free, 5-coat German finish with an aluminium oxide wear layer to boost abrasion resistance, plus two polyurethane topcoats for added protection. Developed with internationally known Klumpp Coatings, the finish carries a 25-year residential/5-year commercial warranty.
How much formaldehyde is in the adhesive?
All bamboo products are laminated, and the industry standard for this laminating process has long mandated the use of urea-formaldehyde adhesives. However, some urea-formaldehyde adhesives emit much less formaldehyde than others. Teragren's proprietary manufacturing adhesives emit 0.03 ppm or less of formaldehyde, much less than allowed by U.S. OSHA, German E1, CARB Phase 1 and Phase 2, and Japanese JIS/JAS (F**) emissions standards. Our butcher block benchtops are made with formaldehyde-free manufacturing adhesives.
Does all bamboo flooring qualify for LEED® credits?
No. Flooring, like any product used in LEED certified construction, qualifies only if a company can provide documentation under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Green Building Rating System™. All Teragren bamboo products have such documentation and contribute to LEED certification under MR Credit 6: Rapidly Renewable Materials. Because Synergy strand bamboo flooring is made with phenol-formaldehyde adhesive, it also contributes to IEQ Credit 4.4: Low-Emitting Materials. Products made with our urea-based manufacturing adhesives do not qualify; however, currently most of our non-compliant products can be made with a LEED-compliant adhesive on a special-order basis through our IEQ 4.4 Enhanced program.
Are CSI specifications or MSDS available?
Only a manufacturer can provide documentation to certify CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) specifications, MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) or other legal specifications required by architects and other design professionals for commercial and government projects. As we are the manufacturer of all Teragren products, we make such documentation available conveniently through our web site.
Why Teragren?
Unlike many bamboo suppliers, Teragren develops and manufactures all our own bamboo products. We directly control manufacturing—and product quality—from one source from harvest to distribution, guaranteed since 1994. The Teragren difference includes:
- 11 manufacturing and quality-control checkpoints
- Advanced, state-of-the-art equipment that fortifies durability
- ISO 9001:2000 and 14001 certified factories
- Ability to install our flooring over radiant heat.
We also give you precise specifications and other documentation on every Teragren product. And we support our fine bamboo products with unparalleled technical service.
If you have any questions about Teragren products, please email us.
