Be very careful about buying hardwood flooring from Lowes, Home Depot, Lumber Liquidators and the like as they sell seconds, rejects and use wood that isn't dried properly so you end up with lots of issues.

Lumber Liquidators bamboo flooring has a lot of formaldehyde issues that are the subject of a class action lawsuit as it's made in China. Google Lowes' brand with the terms 'reviews' and 'complaints' and see what you come up with. Also check on pissedconsumer.com to see if they've had complaints against it there.

There's a reason hardwood flooring is so expensive......

I have read bad stories with bamboo flooring but haven't found anything on this particular Monarch brand. At Lowe's they told me it's formaldehyde-free but would love to hear from anyone who has used it.

Very interesting -- Thank you.

I'm considering this flooring, did you decide to go with it? The flooring looks great and the reviews on bamboo are generally good, I live in Hamilton so humidity levels will be the same as Toronto. If you decided not to go with this product what made you change your mind?

Jordan

Bamboo looks great - but when we decided (based on price) to go with Home Depots Bamboo flooring (exactly the same) we had the following issues:

First - WEAR GLOVES! Or you'll be pulling out splinters for the next couple of months.

Second - They chip VERY EASILY! I found the finish to be too brittle. Dropping anything on them will cause a chip, not a dent. Very hard material!

Third - Dimensionally stable, but watch out for the corners. The snap fit only works well on wide, untrimmed pieces.

Fourth - I found the snap-together action very problematic. It 'clicks' and then lets go. If you use a 2 x 4 against the boards to tighten up the seam - be careful! The finish chips very easily.

Other than that - its a great floor.

I installed a Shaw - made in china :( (they all are) hand-scraped hickory 6 years ago and I couldn't be happier. Sure its dented, scratched and the odd gouge, but you have to look up close to see. A very forgiving flooring. Far better than the high gloss Bamboo.

Good Luck!

Stay away from Cali Bamboo. I had lowes install in my kitchen and after splintering, shifting and movement after 3 days, Lowes admitted it was a defective floor and is going to replace my entire kitchen now. They sent an independent floor guy to inspect and indeed not only is the floor defective but the installation was incorrect. Stay far far far away from Cali Bamboo and I agree....stay away from Lowes. Use your local independent supplier for quality products

Just so that everyone is aware: Brand Name manufacturers produce LOWER QUALITY products for places like "Lowes". The Brand might be familiar (sounds high-end, right?) but the QUALITY of the product sold "off the shelf" at these big box outlets is MUCH LOWER than if you purchased CaliBamboo direct from a licensed distributor.

Notice the above statement: both the quality and the INSTALL of the product were problematic! Lowes is not a quality flooring outlet. Their installers are some of the cheapest guys on the market (only Big Box stores hire them - they are so bad they can't get work any other way).

Sigh. If you want bamboo, then PLEASE work with an independent, licensed dealer with quality products! And pay the price tag required to get quality product and quality installation. Bamboo is tough enough to deal with/live with - without adding in the Lowes and Home Depots of the world.

We bought our Cali Bamboo floors directly through them and installed them ourselves (glue down). We have had zero issues and our dogs have yet to scratch it (been installed a year). I love it!

Thanks for your feedback, Jen! Our solid bamboo is a particularly dog-friendly floor. So happy to hear you're enjoying it!

Just to clarify, the flooring and decking we provide to Lowe's is the exact same product we sell directly via calibamboo.com and through our authorized dealers. Everything we manufacture undergoes a rigorous inspection process, and we completely pull anything that is found to be lacking in any way. (None of it is sold to other providers or discount outlets.)

Because of our proprietary Fossilizing process, our floors are much harder and more durable than other hardwoods (see our Janka scores), and much better at withstanding harsher climates than the average bamboo floor. Like any natural flooring, acclimation and careful installation are key, but when done correctly we hear thousands of success stories like Jen's from regions as humid as Costa Rica and as dry as Phoenix, AZ.

We are always happy to offer tips and discuss concerns! https://www.calibamboo.com/support/

We absolutely love our CaliBamboo floors! We got them directly from CaliBamboo. We’ve had them installed for 3 years now! We just installed their stair treads and we absolutely love them!

Wow! We haven't seen this type of install before (combined with the tile)! It doesn't even look like wood! If you send four nice shots to photos@calibamboo.com, we'd love to include you in a project of the month contest. Thanks for sharing!

DO NOT BUY Cali Bamboo, no matter what you do , no matter what the problem its the installer/homeowners fault. This stuff scratches easier than my car paint. This stuff is total junk, once it gets scratched its there for life. They say that it can be repaired but that just leaves dull stained patches, like repairing a scratch on your car with FLAT paint. Save yourself the heartache. The only part of the product that is true is that it is hard, but so is my concrete, but at least the concrete can be repaired. The product is hard but the surface is very , very, very soft. The only thing I can say about the positive reviews is that they must be employees that don't really have it. The fact that its shipped with a thick foam padding between each board. DO NOT BUY THIS CRAP.

I bought directly from the manufacturer and used the installer they recommended--no problems.

I bought directly from Cali Bamboo, installed it ourselves and have not had a single issue with the floor. The dogs have not left a single scratch on it. I am very happy with it. Cali Bamboo was a pleasure to deal with and helped me out tremendously.

I bought my bamboo flooring directly from Cali Bamboo and it is wonderful. I am going to use their vinyl flooring in my guest bathroom--but i will order directly from Cali this time too.

We purchased our Cali Bamboo through Lowes. We pretreated the concrete pad with a moisture barrier ourselves. No need to pay someone $1000! Then we did the floor installation ourselves. Easy. It's been in since 2014 and it is still beautiful. BTW, we have two large dogs - zero problem. We just sold the home and are buying another. Want to install the Call Bamboo and was thinking of buying direct but went to their website and it is totally different. They have diversified. I understand the need to reach all markets but I want flooring, not cushions and area rugs. Also, they used to have a section where they sold returned or excess product at a reduced rate. It's not there. Might as well purchase it from Lowes.

@mhippelh I love the color of your floors! Which one is that? We live in Florida and are considering the Calibamboo engineered flooring or their solid bamboo flooring. We're worried about the humidity if there's a power outage for days at a time during a hurricane.

Aa r Thank you! Mine is the engineered bamboo in Malibu. I am also in Florida so hopefully I won’t find out what will happen after a hurricane and no A/C for days. Hopefully I will never have to test it out. I let it acclimate for a while since my remodel took longer than expected.

Yes, I hope we never have to find that out this year! I've ordered samples of the engineered bamboo, so we're waiting to make a decision.

Do not purchase Cali Bamboo! I have them and they’ve been a nightmare so much that I’ve found 40 other people with the same problem. We are filing a class action lawsuit against Cali Bamboo https://m.facebook.com/groups/2064655650512430

We had Cali Bamboo floors from Lowes (Fossilized Mocha) installed in Jan. 2018 and we LOVE, LOVE them. So far there are no traffic marks, dents, scuffs or scratches anywhere and this is a very high traffic room including 2 dogs & 2 cats. They are easy to keep clean and shine beautifully. We will be laying more of the same in the rest of our home next month.

We had them professionally installed using our own floor guy, not Lowes at $250 a square foot in Raleigh, NC.

Cali Bamboo 3.75" Fossilized Mocha

We have had our Cali bamboo for a little over a month. We are getting two upstairs hallways done next week. My daughter has a very active dog and we have grandchildren that live here and so far so good. The feel of it under your feet is amazing. We purchased at Lowes because my husband has worked in Lowes flooring dept for years. I will say a lot of installers don’t like installing it because of how hard it is and splinters. We bought through special order the fossilized solid bamboo in boardwalk.

We were enamored with the descriptions of Cali Bamboo Flooring, the different selections, the widths and the hardness of the product. We installed it paying close attention to their recommendations for acclimation to the environment and literally let the product sit in our house in a latticed stacked position for 3 – 4 months. We installed following directions precisely, leaving minimal 1/2″ space all around at walls, doors, etc. We have had nothing but ongoing bulging; areas raised as much as 1 – 1 1/2 inches. We had to remove baseboard throughout the entire install area, pry the edge boards out as they had expanded under the drywall, re-cut the edge boards 1/2″ back from the wall, put baseboard back and 2 months later have encountered the same problems. Also, the floor scratches easily, plus we have footprints (and not from dirty shoes) that are difficult to get out, even with the recommended product Cali promotes. Our opinion of this product is — I would never ever use bamboo flooring again unless it was glued or nailed down. But we can’t do that as we have a radiant floor heat system. We were assured this was an acceptable product to use. The local salesman who sold it to us (and the Cali customer service rep we spoke with) said it’s a great product and would work well in our climate. We are in the mountains of North Carolina and our humidity runs 40 – 65%. My recommendation is there are other and better products to be had for less money!

We bought US floor bamboo flooring from Lowes, and installed it ourselves. We have had it in for 6 months and have loved it. The finish is really tough, our 65 lb spazzy dog has not made a mark in it. I am wondering about Cali Bamboo, because it is supposed to be easier to sand down and refinish but out floor is fabulous.

We bought Cali Bamboo from Lowes. Even though I have installed a lot of flooring, I watched the video and learned a few tricks. We put in about 1,000 SQ FT. Our experience with Lowes was poor. Our experience with Cali was very good and our experience with the product was very good..

First of all, it IS as hard as they say. UNBELIEVABLE.

Second, even if you are gluing it down, do not use nails. I tried on a couple pieces. 16 GA nails at 120 PSI just wrinkle up like a dried lasagna noodle.

We did the floating floor. 9/16" wide. It cuts great with a table saw and a chop saw.

We have had four small pieces cup and no one can figure it out. They are replacing it and are very professional about it.

Lowes, on the other hand, First of all, they did not order it. Secondly, they ordered the wrong product. Now, that we want to do two other room sin it, Lowes stopped handling that color. They told me they could order it but we would have to pay shipping to our house from Cali. Cali is working with me to get what we need.

Cali Bamboo customer service; Sean and Kevin are GREAT!

Great product.

• sdwilkins927 I bought a box of the Calibamboo Boardwalk and it is incredibly uniform. Your floor looks has a good amount of variation. Any suggestions?

This flooring is terrible. Don’t buy it. My floor looks like an accordion. I hate it.

Can’t open the door because of severe buckling

What in the world!

HU 83828,,,if they're buckling then maybe you have a moisture problem, the floors weren't properly prepped (vapor barrier?) or the install wasn't done correctly. You can't just automatically blame the type of flooring w/o addressing the other issues.

Had 1200 sqrft installed 4 years ago including stairs, still beautiful today. Best flooring made!

We are getting ready to install Cali Bamboo in the natural fossilized color. 1500 square feet to go over a plywood floor and padding too of course. We are in Northern California, so moisture may not be a problem. Drought is sadly occurring here again.

We have several dogs, cats and grandkids, so expect this floor to do the job it promises. As important is the natural material instead of plastic resin types. I love the look so far and have been shopping for flooring for way too long. (Over a year).

I will post the results, but after working with Corwin from their own store, together we are confident this will be amazing.

@lynnmccue my dogs have not made a single mark on mine in three years. I got mine directly from Cali, not Lowe’s.

I hope you have better luck than I did. When I bought mine the sales staff had me convinced they would be great. Cali Bamboo used a technicality to justify not replacing mine. Cali said I should have put a T molding in the middle of the room, even tough the department manager that looked at at my floor plans never said anything about putting one there. If you do have a problem with your floors, hire your own inspector to do the write up on the problems. The Cali hired inspectors just look for reasons for them to deny any claims.

An Update: we put in the same blonde US Flooring ( its from Shaw in GA) upstairs. It has gotten scratched by our spazzy dog and heaven only knows what that was dragged across it. But still it is the most scratch resistant flooring we have had. It is a year and one half old and looks good over all -- no buckling -- cleans up beautifully.

Dont do it! scrathes easily, mine weeos sticky stuff only a year old