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| Phase 1- close up of bamboo floors |
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The many reclaimed and recycled wood combinations used in the guest sleeping loft really give the space a lot of character and a lot of good stories! |
The floor in the phase 1 addition is a slab on grade, with no crawl space. The little bit of foundation there is- is sealed with a wonderful, impenetrable waterproofer called Rub-R-Wall. This keeps any water from wicking or seeping into the slab and thus into the flooring above it- which is a combination of Bamboo, Cork and recycled automobile windshield glass tiles. The Rub-R-Wall was also used along the below grade foundation walls in the phase 2 addition.
The loft, in the phase 1 addition, located in Cindy’s office area- acts as an additional guest sleeping area. It is constructed entirely of reclaimed and recycled lumber including: wormy oak for the ladder, redwood trusses (deconstructed from a WWII ammunition bunker), heart of pine balusters and handrail and oak flooring from an older home about 2 miles away. This loft gives the 520 square foot space an additional room as well as the open spacious feeling the Patton’s required. The desks in Shelter Ecology’s office were custom made by Cindy. The tops are composed of agricultural wood flour and sunflower seed hulls. (Cindy and Pat have an ongoing joke: "If a real Y2K should hit, we always have our kitchen cabinets and desks to eat")
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| Shelter Ecology’s office, work area |
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Close up of desks, made from agricultural wood flour and sunflower seed hulls. (yummy)!) |
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The Patton’s have had a lot of problems with their bamboo floors. The problems started with the fact that the tongue and groove of the planks (upon arrival to the site) did not meet up, resulting in an uneven floor. The sanding process was extensive in trying to get these seams to meet, resulting in cupping and warping of the planks- which are engineered (glued up) layers of bamboo. The finish took unevenly to the floor, resulting in unevenness of sheen, all because of the extensive sanding that had to be done. Over the first 3 years after installation, the bamboo cracked, nicked and scratched easily, separated and delaminated. This flooring has truly been a nightmare to deal with. They just had it refinished after 3 years of wear- because they just could not stand it anymore! There are some good bamboo flooring companies out there who are not reselling China made material. (China lacks in quality control and has severe social economic problems as we all know.) Refer to my web site for Bamboo Hardwoods, which is made in South Viet Nam instead of China-where the quality control is more carefully monitored. |
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