Why Hawa Bamboo

Finishing: Some companies will buy flooring blanks from one factory and have another factory mill them, while yet another applies the finish. There may be varying numbers of finish coats (from 3 to 6 depending on the mill) and varying ingredients from mill run to mill run. A polyurethane-only finish may be used, which will not be as durable as a finish containing aluminum oxide. [HAWA finish is an 8-coat aluminum oxide/polyurethane finish from Klumpp Finishes * PLEASE SEE OUR WARRANTY FOR SPECIFIC COVERAGE FOR ALL OF OUR FLOORING*

•Formaldehyde level of the adhesive: High formaldehyde levels negate bamboo’s environmental advantages. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. Higher-formaldehyde adhesives are less expensive than those with lower levels. [HAWA’s bamboo products have formaldehyde levels is 0.011ppm]

• Availability: Many bamboo flooring companies do not maintain inventory in the U.S. and lead times can be anywhere from 12 — 16 weeks. [HAWA stocks supplemental inventory at one main distribution center located in SAYREVILLE, New Jersey— to be certain their distributor network is able to fulfill orders in a timely manner

The culms of the bamboo plant grow to height of 80 feet and diameters of up to 8 inches. A date is etched into each bamboo stalk to indicate appropriate harvest time to maintain sustainability. The MOSO specie of bamboo specified by HAWA is harvested at 4 to 6 years for a more durable finished product and to ensure stability and clarity of color.

Unlike hardwood trees requiring more than 60 years to mature, bamboo is a grass that is renewably harvested over and over from the same plant. HAWA takes it one environmental step farther by virtually eliminating the formaldehyde level of the adhesive used in the lamination process. In addition, the company specifies a water-based, solvent free, 100% solids finish in the manufacture of its prefinished line of products.

The bamboo stalk is split into slats to extract the premium part of the culms. The slats are then laminated with an environmentally safe adhesive under hydraulic pressure to produce planks for flooring, panels and veneer.

The slats of bamboo are boiled in a solution of water, hydrogen peroxide, and borate solution to eliminate pests and mildew, then kiln-dried to remove moisture. The slats are kiln-dried to a minimum of 5% and a maximum of 8-10% moisture content. Raw flooring blanks are stored in a humidity-controlled warehouse for 2 weeks to achieve 8%-10% delivered moisture content.

Flooring planks and flooring accessories, such as moldings are produced to yield uniform pieces free from any flaw that will produce tear-outs or voids within the final product.

The first finish application for HAWA prefinished flooring is the sealer coat followed by the aluminum oxide coatings that protects the fiber. Next is the aluminum oxide coating, followed by high quality polyurethane coating for easy refinishing.

The Hawa Carbonized bamboo flooring is produced by pressure heating the natural bamboo fiber. The longer period of time that the natural bamboo is subjected to heat, the darker the sugar compounds become and thereby producing a carbonized color.