When it comes to bamboo flooring, Cali Bamboo is one of the leaders in the industry. This unique type of flooring has surged in popularity over the past decade, and Cali has been at the forefront when it comes to manufacturing eco-friendly products. If you are wondering how this brand stacks up against the rest, our Cali Bamboo review will break things down, so you make an informed buying decision.
There are a number of tricks and techniques companies can use during the manufacturing process to add unique properties to their products. It’s especially true in the flooring world where manufacturers strive to find an edge against the competition. Well, Cali Bamboo certainly found one with their Fossilized Bamboo process.
Cali Bamboo claims their floors are the hardest in the world, and they achieve this through their fossilizing technique. They take Musa bamboo that’s at least 5 – 7 years old and split it down the middle before it’s skinned by a special machine.
After drying, these strips are dipped into a low VOC solution and then pressed into a block. Once milled, a finish consisting of between 7 to 13 layers is applied to complete the fossilization process. The end result is a board that’s considerably stronger than other bamboo flooring and more resilient to everyday wear and tear.
Cali Bamboo Review
Regardless of how well bamboo boards are made, it’s all for naught if the company has a bland selection of products. That’s not the case with Cali Bamboo; however, as they have a solid range of boards, although none fall into traditional collections or series like other styles of flooring.
There are two types of flooring to choose from if you are interested in Cali Bamboo with Engineered or Solid Bamboo flooring. Most styles are available in either option, which is a bonus considering how colors and styles are usually disturbed across collections.
In all, there are around 18 different styles of Cali Bamboo flooring, and most are natural tones like Treehouse, Mocha, Cognac, and Java. There are some grey hues as well however if you prefer the look of aged wood and are not partial to browns. Overall, their collection of flooring is rather small, but there is a nice selection of shades to choose from.
When it comes to finishes, there are a number of hand scraped boards. They are ideal if you want floors with character, but there are smooth and distressed finishes available as well. There are also wide and extra-wide boards if you want something a little larger than a standard-sized planks. Milling options include tongue & groove or click-lock, although you will only get the latter if you are interested in the company’s GeoWood line of bamboo flooring.
GeoWood bamboo flooring is rated as highly water-resistant thanks to a limestone composite core and AquaDefy technology. That makes them suitable for areas where moisture would wreck regular bamboo flooring, and there are four styles of GeoWood with Aged Amber, Antique Iron, Copperstone and Jasperstone.
The Green Factor
If you are into sustainable flooring, you will be hard-pressed to find a natural material like bamboo. Cali Bamboo’s flooring is Eco-Engineered, and FloorScore certified, so it’s certainly safe indoors. Some styles are Carb Phase 2 or Prop 65 complaint as well, and all qualify for LEED points EQC4.3, MRc6, and MRc7.
In a nutshell, Cali Bamboo’s flooring is “safe” if you are concerned about off-gassing and potential VOCs and one they produce some of the more eco-friendly bamboo flooring on the market today.
Warranty & Durability
Generally, you don’t have to worry about durability with bamboo flooring. It ranks extremely high on the Janka scale, and Cali’s solid stranded flooring ranks between 3,393 and 5,574 on that scale. Some of their engineered bamboo boards are in the 4,000 range and are very resilient with a 13-coat scratch resistant finish.
Most of their strand bamboo flooring has a 10-coat layer of protection but is obviously more durable due to the way it’s constructed. If you are not sure which type is right for you, our bamboo flooring buying guide will help you make the right choice. Both engineered and solid bamboo flooring from Cali Bamboo come with a 50-year residential warranty.
Additional Cali Bamboo Products
Cali Bamboo is not a one-trick pony, and while their name implies they specialize in bamboo, they carry a lot of home goods and various types of flooring. That includes exotic, but eco-friendly materials like Cork and Eucalyptus along with domestic species.
The company also has a line of eco-friendly bamboo and stone composite flooring under their Cali Vinyl lineup and even has a line of decking as well. As for home goods, you can pick up anything from an area rug or pouf to stains and supplies depending on your needs.
Cali Bamboo Cost and Availability
If you are interested in Cali Bamboo’s flooring, you can purchase it directly from the company and have it shipped to your home. They have samples, but several of their products are also carried by Lowes, and you may find them at other hardware stores as well.
Style
Type
Finish
Hardness Rating
Price
Antique Java
Solid
Hand Scraped
5,574
$5.89
Mocha
Engineered
Distressed
4,948
$5.89
Copperstone
Engineered GeoWood
Hand Scraped
3,329
$4.64
Cognac
Solid
Smooth
5,027
$4.99
Natural
Engineered
Smooth
4,175
$5.00
Cali Bamboo Pros, Cons and Ratings
Cali Bamboo is a manufacturer of high-quality bamboo flooring and with a focus on sustainability and air quality. While we didn’t pick through every style of flooring they sell, all of their bamboo we looked at were certified. Overall, the majority of the verified reviews we checked were positive for this brand, and consumers found it easy to install.
Pros:
Environmentally-friendly brand. Flooring is easy to install and made from high-quality bamboo. Excellent 50-year warranty with their engineered or solid bamboo flooring.
Cons:
More expensive than other bamboo brands with a limited catalog in terms of styles.
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