As bamboo is recognized as a rapidly renewable resource and a low emitting material it is a fabulous option for your flooring. The challenge for some people is that bamboo looks like, well, bamboo. Not everyone loves the look. Further, many of these people absolutely love exotic looking floors, like Brazilian Walnut or Brazilian Cherry, but are not confident that they can purchase these species legally.

This one is to show you how the industry can quickly react to major legislative changes; The Lacey Act.  If you don’t know what it is you better figure it out quickly.  No one is immune. It is a major change to the building material industry, strict guidelines to follow to ensure your supply chain can prove the traceability and legality of the wood used in flooring, furniture, paneling, etc.

The answer is a direct printing process that makes the durable and stable strand woven bamboo look exactly like an exotic species like a Brazilian Walnut. You get a floor that is twice as hard as North American Oak, so extremely strong and durable, while you get the fashion forward look that the market place craves. I am not promoting this line just because BuildDirect sells it.   It is available from other suppliers as well.

But I wanted to share this product innovation because it shows how public demand and legislative change can quickly effect the industry in a way that many feel is extremely positive. I just spend the past two days with the factory owner and I can’t stop thinking about this line. I love the fact that my role in this marketplace allows BuildDirect and myself to be on the leading edge of product innovation.

Here is a brief video showing myself and Matthew Dickinson describing the product.

And from our website, here’s an explanation of some of the ways  that direct print bamboo can  contribute LEED points.

• LEED® MR Credit 6: Rapidly Renewable Materials: The USGBC has established this requirement to help “reduce the use and depletion of finite raw materials and long cycle materials by replacing them with rapidly renewable materials.”
• LEED® IEQ Credit 4.4: Low Emitting Materials: The USGBC has established this requirement to help “reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well being of installers and occupants.”

Enjoy!

Direct Print Bamboo Floors a Key Product in Lacey Act Compliance is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

These are my two favorite books.  I read them as a young adult and have re-read them several times. My wife thinks I’m crazy since I read them so often, but they are inspirational and entertaining for me. They definitely influenced my career path. I have always been enthralled (obsessed) with martial arts and Asian culture.  This book, which takes place in Hong Kong, fed that Asian obsession.

When I researched and learned that the novel was loosely based on fact (the business history of a company called Jardine Matheson), I was hooked. I was fascinated with the aspects of global trade & finance along with the dynamics of doing business as a foreigner in Asia. I visited Hong Kong as a 20 year old, have been back numerous times and have loved the city ever since.

Noble House was a mini-series on NBC in 1988 starring Pierce Brosnan. In the mini-series the Jardine House was used as the location of the Noble House.  Jardine Matheson is still located in this building.  Formerly known as Connaught Center, it is a 52 storey building built in 1972. It is the star of this brief video I took on a recent trip to Hong Kong.  Enjoy!

BuildDirect Goes to ‘Noble House’ is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

One of the people at the factory said that in Sichuan, around the time of the earthquake disaster (May 12, 2008), that there were hundreds of thousands of these seen on the streets. The frogs were reported in Chinese media to have been a predictor that something was about to happen.

I don’t know if this was reported before or if it was an after thought. I found this photo that may support this claim. As we heard stories of some animals moving away from the shore before the Dec 26, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami I wonder if the frogs knew something that the people didn’t? If nothing else, look at how tiny the frogs are!!

Tiny Chinese Frogs! is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Honestly it was a pretty average effort, I had done little research and I know no technical terms, so tried to wing it. Hey, I gotta be me! I don’t speak Chinese and I spent awhile speaking with the chemical experts in the factory and unfortunately much of the communication was lost in translation, so I ended up winging it.

You won’t here anything earth shattering in the 2 minutes I speak, but you will see the machines that are used in a formaldehyde test and you’ll hear that CARB is extremely important and we take the process very seriously. Formaldehyde emissions is a hot button topic in the flooring industry and CARB (California Air Resources Board) have changed the way Californian’s and soon to be all Americans on how they buy their flooring.

Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring chemical compound that is often used in manufacturing of household items. Prolonged exposure to high levels is considered unhealthy. It can trigger conditions like asthma and I believe it has been shown to cause cancer in animals (according to the Department of Health and Human Services).

A CARB compliant floor ensures that the emissions are extremely low, in early 2009 and through 2010 the California Air Resources Board is taking a leadership stance and requiring all products to be compliant to their new standards (within CA). BuildDirect is following that stance and is actively attempting to be a leader across the country and ensure the entire North American population has the ability to procure these formaldehyde safe products.

So to recap, don’t expect a great video production, but understand the topic is a very important one and enjoy the inside of a factory testing room in rural China.

Finally, I am jet lagged, hung over and tired from being in a car all day, so I have pretty big bags under my eyes! Good times, I love business travel!

Testing Wood Floor Formaldehyde Emission at the Factory is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I wanted to show what it was like to walk along a line finishing line. I did this in an impromptu fashion so sorry for the lack of technical terms. Anyways, it’s a little behind the scenes on how engineered or solid hardwood flooring is finished, I hope you enjoy.

I walked the line!!

Rob.

I walk the line; the wood flooring line, that is!! is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Other than the obvious differences in the service, language, food and ‘movie’ selection (I’m a little concerned that the general population that fly domestic Chinese airlines may all end up with hearing problems.  They certainly are not shy on the volume level of said movies…) I have learned that the most unusual difference in the exercise routine that happens on longer flights (usually 2.5 hours+ in duration).

Here is a small clip of an exercise session that the entire plane took part in.

The flight attendants respectfully asked me not to film this, so I had to try and do it without drawing too much attention … it isn’t a great reflection of what happened, the starting part had a lot more arms waving in the air, but you get the general idea.

Business Travel Adventures in China: Airline Exercises is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Evolution of bamboo floors: Quick lock strand-woven bamboo is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

May 15, 2009 the Richmond News newspaper reported that the Oval has been recognized with a top national award for architecture.

“The Oval was honoured by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada for innovation in architecture. Architectural firm Canon Design was behind the look of the $173M Olympic speed skating facility. The institute cited the oval’s use of discarded pine-bettle wood for the ceiling; its wood bean span; and the design of heating, ventilating and acoustics as the reasons for the award.”

I’d throw in the incredible location right on the Fraser River and the view of the local mountain range as additional reasons to love this facility.

Well done and congrats to the City of Richmond and all others involved on this recent award, I’m sure many more will follow.

BuildDirect Goes to The 2010 Olympic Oval is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

The local domestic traffic was up a lot, especially on day 1 of the show. Personally I had an excellent show… it is a great way for me to save a few trips to Asia by meeting multiple key contacts each day at the show. Many of my factories will fly in just to see me there, which I greatly appreciate. It does make for an action packed week.  We were triple booked for dinner and/or drinks for 5 nights straight.

Here’s  a photo from our office in Shanghai (Pudong).

We have a nice view of the new Shanghai World Financial Center, which is the world’s tallest building, completed by roof (101 floors, 492m, 1,614 ft). The Taipei 101 Tower is taller by 56 feet, but not by roof (it has a 60 ft spire on top). The Burj Dubai will pass them both in the next year or two (it is going to be a shocking 2,684 ft, 162 stories). See Jin Mao Tower in front of it? It’s now the second tallest in China (421m, 1,380 ft, 88 floors); a pretty crazy the difference in size.

We have so many great relationships in Asia and it is important to spend quality time together whenever we can. Chinese culture in particular places a great deal of importance on dinner time. Keep an eye out for another food post.  Every trip I seem to find something different that I thought I’d never eat!

Domotex Shanghai Flooring Show is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

After flying all night to Southern China (a 14 hour flight), driving 2 hours to a remote hotel for a breakfast meeting, I walked in and within 2 minutes I was served this:

That’s a turkey foot.  In gelatin.

I was in the outskirts of Beijing in a Sichuan restaurant. Authentic Sichuan food is fire hot. I love spicy food, but I had no idea that food could be that hot. Some people must have an iron stomachs, the smell entering the restaurant burned my eyes!

One dish, which I don’t have a photo of, was a full fish (head, tail, fins, skin, etc) that had been boiled in a pot of oil. The oil had what looked like hundreds of red chili’s in it. The Chinese name translates to ‘water cooked fish’, but there is no water involved, it is fish cooked in large pot of chili oil.

I did take a photo of an appetizer dish, peanuts and fish heads.

It’s peanuts, fish-heads, and ‘vegetables’.  Anything  green is described as ‘vegetables’.  And this dish is served cold.

When I was in Hanover  in northern Germany at the Domotex flooring trade show I found myself walking back from a couple of pints with a co-worker and we saw this advertisement in a MacDonald’s restaurant window:

They don’t have chicken nuggets they have schnitzel nuggets (pieces of veal, breaded and fried). Different strokes for different folks.

Business Travel: What You See In the Middle of Nowhere, Part 2 is a post from: Building Materials and Flooring With Rob Banks

Bookmark It

Hide Sites