The biggest house project we've tackled to date is installing eucalyptus wood floors in most of the home. We've done laminate and vinyl in previous homes, but installing wood was a first for both of us.
Luckily, the flooring we picked is a floating, click-and-lock system -- not so different from the laminate we'd installed before.
It is available in two finishes - natural and mocha. While I love both and have been dreaming of dark wood floors for years, I knew that light floors were the way to go in our house. We have dark wood ceilings and needed something light on the floors to lighten and brighten the spaces.
This is the 'natural' finish of eucalyptus flooring from Cali Bamboo.
We put down felt underlayment and then clicked and locked the pieces into place. We are by no means professionals. If we can do it, so can you!
It's Janka tested to 3500+ lbs. That means it holds up really well to denting and wear. Brazilian cherry is about 2350 and southern yellow pine is about 690, for comparison.
We have two terriers (read: crazy terrors that are constantly running around the house) and have not noticed any scratching. It's advertised as pet and high-heel friendly and comes with a 50-year residential warranty.
I also love that eucalyptus is a sustainable product. It's fast-growing and can be harvested unobtrusively every 14 years.
We still need baseboards and area rugs, but it feels so great to get out of bed in the morning to a nice, new, clean floor.
Hello. I'm wondering if you've had any issues since installation of this floor? We're about to install the same floor from CaliBamboo in the mocha color. I've read so many reviews about scratching and buckling that I'm having second thoughts about it.
ReplyDeleteHi- I realize this is a 2 year old post. I too, am contemplating Cali stranded Fossillized Eucalyptus Mocha flooring. Did you decide to install? Many conflicting reports. We live in the NE with 4 seasons so also concerned with buckling. Thank you!!
DeleteHi Paula,
DeleteI'm not sure if Jacqueline installed the floors, but I can say that 4 years in mine are still looking great. We also experience 4 seasons here, although we do not have hot, humid days that you may experience in the NE. We do get plenty of hot/dry and cold/wet days and so far - no issues!
We have not had any issues with scratching or buckling. That is with two small dogs running around and general wear and tear that comes from living in the country. They've been installed for a while now, and there hasn't been any buckling, but I do live in a dry climate that is never humid.
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Hope it will help you next time !
For ANY laminate or wood flooring..... To test if this flooring will handle high heels and dogs scratching or the flooring just not being up to snuff.... Take a stiff finger nail and try to scratch it. Also try to press your finger nail into the wood. Usually men who dont bite their nails have the best nails for this test. Female LONG nails wont give you any indication.
ReplyDeleteIf you dont want to use a nail.... Use a dime. Try to scratch it. See what it takes to scratch a sample. STEP on the sample with a high heel on but make sure there is a small piece of foam under the flooring when you step on it or else it wont mimic what it will really be like if there is no 1/8 foam or backer material under the flooring.
If you can scratch the flooring with a dime with little to moderate effort then its not going to be good for high heels dogs or people who wear shoes in the house at all.
I've installed soft wood like this and the home owner KNEW it was soft. She still has it looking great 4 years later but its because she doesn't allow shoes in the house. If she allowed anyone to just walk in with shoes on or she wore high heels in her house all the time she would destroy her floors. I had to be careful not to lay down tools hard while installing it. I also made certain she understood the risks before I installed it.