I'm looking at installing bamboo flooring. Rather than just laying the floor in one simple "slab", I wish to insert a box/border of a contrasting coloured bamboo. There will be a 18 inch border of colour 1, then about 12 inches of the second colour, and the rest of the interior square will be colour 1 again.

I figure that with a router bit for cutting new grooves on the ends, and lots of spline pieces, I should be able to "close the loop".

Obviously, there will be places where the second colour banboo will be at right angles to the first colour.

So, what I would like to know....

Has anyone tried this?

Are there concerns that I have not addressed (Groove making, butting pieces at right angles, expansion problems, other?)?

Water issues will not be a concern as I intend to install this pattern in a second floor bedroom.

Just for the added info, I am looking at Yanchi natural vertical as the colour 1 and carbonized vertical as the second colour. The reason for this combination is that I want most of the floor to be as hard as I can get. It appears that the carbonization process softens the bamboo significantly. Comments?

PS I have installed several wood floors before, therefore I do have some experience with the process.