Cupping Hardwood Floors? (Volcano: appointed, houses, construction)

[initialm0]

Hi,

My grandmother had no problems with her original hardwood floors for 60+ years in her single wall house which has great ventilation throughout. I am thinking of installing hardwood floors in my home which has double wall construction- and we are heavy users of the a/c. I was reading about bamboo vs solid wood and came across many issues people have with cupping d/t moisture. Not sure if this is just a problem on the mainland or with double wall construction. I was wondering if anyone has had any issues with cupping in their hardwood floors here in Hawaii.

Thanks!

[OpenD]

I was considering bamboo flooring a couple of years ago... I really liked the look, and I liked that it was made of a renewable, ecologically sound material. And it seemed like it wouldn't be subject to the cupping and crowning that wide board traditional flooring often displays.

But then I attended an art gallery showing in Volcano and was disappointed to see how bad the bamboo flooring looked. It had developed all kinds of ripples and waves due to expansion and contraction from humidity changes. And it was softer than I expected, so that a stool with glider feet, for example, had dented and scarred the floor where it stood.

Real board flooring is both very expensive and subject to cupping and crowning, although a good professional flooring contractor can install it in a manner that will minimize problems.

All around best, in my view is engineered flooring, manufactured with a plywood base and a thin layer of real hardwood on top. The plywood gives it dimensional stability, and the layer of real wood gives it an authentic look and feel. And unlike flooring made with a fake wood finish, it can be sanded down and refinished if desired in the future.

Good luck!

[hotzcatz]

Then there's always the option of a wood floor. T & G planks for a floor that are nailed to the joists. No ply, no nothing, but the T & G planks. All the old Hick's Homes and most of the old plantation houses were built that way. Durable floors but I don't know if you can install them without pulling up the plywood underlayment. I'm guessing your grandmother's floors were probably the solid wood floor plank type of floor.

[Kawena]

I wood never do bamboo.... its a strand type of wood as I wood describe it. not like conventional woods that have grains. grains are fiberishes..... and hard to bring back to original once damaged.
solid hard wood is best$$ but can be re-finished over time... BIG$$ for re-finishing too. engineered wood is good can get pricy.... it to is susceptible to damage.
Laminates...... the price ranges soo high and soo low. colors!!! grains sizes to suit. don't get it wet... also.... if you don't like it in a couple years, its economical enough to change out. you can also use different colors in different rooms.

[initialm0]

Thank you all for your responses!