Bamboo Flooring Installation Guide
Below is a guide to laying the flooring. For full instruction please go to the product page and look under product specs to find the full downloadable fitting instructions.
PREPARATION
Careful preparation is needed before installing any bamboo flooring. The subfloor must be clean, dry and level. If you have a newly laid concrete subfloor you must check for moisture using a concrete moisture meter (the moisture content should be below 6%). Bamboo flooring is a natural product and needs to acclimatise. Place your flooring in the room(s) which it will be laid, lay the boxes flat, leaving the flooring in the boxes for minimum of 48 hours. If you do not let the flooring acclimatise you will have problems once it has been laid. Because bamboo flooring is a natural product there will be differences in colour, patterns and grain. When you are ready to lay the flooring take it out of the boxes and inspect the colour/ pattern and build piles of light, medium and dark. When you lay the floor you should stagger the colour/pattern throughout the whole area to create a natural look. With all panel flooring you should lay the boards in line with the greatest natural light source.
INSTALLATION
There are four different ways to install plank style bamboo flooring, and only one way to install parquet block bamboo.
1. Floating the floor - using tongue and groove flooring (not parquet block)
2. Floating the floor - using uniclic flooring
3. Secret nailing the floor down to a wood subfloor
4. Gluing the floor down to a concrete or wood subfloor
5. Installing parquet block bamboo flooring
1. FLOATING THE FLOOR - USING TONGUE & GROOVE FLOORING (NOT PARQUET BLOCK)
Once you have laid your underlay (use Siler Bam underlay), place some 10mm spacers round your room; once removed they will leave an expansion gap to allow the flooring to expand and contract naturally. Start to lay your flooring by gluing the tongue and groove joints together with waterproof PVA flooring adhesive. Do not glue the boards to the underlay. Stagger the planks in whatever pattern you want to achieve.
For full installation details, please read the instructions which are included in the packs of the bamboo flooring.
2. Floating the floor – using uniclic flooring
An underlay must be used to float the floor over (use Silver Bam underlay). Once you have laid your underlay, place some 10mm spacers round your room; once removed they will leave an expansion gap to allow the flooring to expand and contract naturally. Lay your flooring by clicking the interlocking joints into place. Stagger the planks in whatever pattern you want to achieve.
For full installation details, please read the instructions which are included in the packs of the bamboo flooring.
3. Secret nailing the floor down to a wood subfloor
Prepare a plywood subfloor and nail any loose areas that move or squeak. Sand and or plane any high spots, and also fill any low areas. Once the floor is level, sweep and clean the surface. A 10mm expansion gap must be left around the perimeter of the room (including doorways). Secure the first row of bamboo, once it is straight and secure carry on building up the rows by secret-nailing into the groove (minimum of three nails per plank) being careful not to go too close to the end of the plank to prevent splitting. PVA glue can also be used to fully seal the floor. Stagger the planks in whatever pattern you want to achieve.
For full installation details, please read the instructions which are included in the packs of the bamboo flooring.
4. Gluing the floor down to a concrete or wood subfloor
Prepare your subfloor first. If it is wood, sand and or plane any high spots and also fill any low areas. If concrete, use self-levelling compound to level the floor. Once the floor is level, sweep and clean the surface. Remove any chemicals or adhesives that may react with the adhesive used to secure the flooring down. A 10mm expansion gap must be left around the perimeter of the room (including doorways). Secure the first row by gluing the planks directly to the subfloor. Once the first row is straight and secure carry on building up the rows by gluing them directly to the subfloor. Stagger the planks in whatever pattern you want to achieve. Use Bona R850 or Sika T54 for this method. You can find these on our adhesive page.
For full installation details, please read the instructions which are included in the packs of the bamboo flooring.
5. Installing parquet block bamboo flooring
You must glue your parquet block bamboo flooring down to your subfloor. Prepare your subfloor first by ensuring it is flat, level, dry and clean. If it is wood, sand and or plane any high areas and also fill any low areas. If concrete, use self-levelling compound to level the floor. Once the floor is level, sweep and clean the surface. Remove any chemicals or adhesives that may react with the adhesive used to secure the flooring down. A 10mm expansion gap must be left around the perimeter of the room (including doorways). Use Osmo MS Glue for this installation.
For full installation details, please read the instructions which are included in the packs of the bamboo flooring.
Tips to finding a floor fitter
When installing Bamboo flooring, it is advisable to use a professionally trained floor fitter (not carpenters or builders). When searching for a floor fitter, here are some questions that you should think about:
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Are they professionally trained with relevant qualifications?
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Do they have insurance?
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Do they have any references you can contact?
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Do they have a portfolio of previous work to look at?
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Do they have their own vehicle (sign written)?
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Will they carry out the work themselves or sub it out to another tradesman?
There are some websites available that help people to find tradesmen. They often have reviews of their previous work, and information about qualifications, insurance and memberships of trade associations. Below are a few examples:
