[kaciuba]

Hi Team,

I need some advice on laying my bamboo flooring which I recently purchased at auction. Risky I know but I got it at a steal of a price. :thumbup: Anyway's I'm trying to determine if I should glue or float the product, with or without an underlay, as well as any hints or tips you guys have. Unfortunately I don't know who the manufacturer is and there are no instructions provided with the product to determine the manufacturers recommendation.

The product is strand woven solid bamboo tongue and groove style in a semi glossed coffee colour. Very nice. The board is 15mm (1/2 inch) thick and comes in 1850mm (72 inch) lengths. The board is a generous 152mm (6 inch) in width.

The board also has three ridges on the underside, about 1mm in depth, which run along the entire length of the board. I am assuming this is for glue but I'm just not sure? Please take a look at the attached pics.

So my questions are:
- Should I be looking to float or glue this material?
- If I float, do I need an underlay?
- If I glue, do I need to glue the T&G sections?
- Do I need expansion gaps at the edges with bamboo?

Some of the boards are also slightly bowed. I don't believe this is a manufacturing problem as much as a wood problem and will hopefully become less apparent when the product is acclimatized and then laid.

So yea im totally lost on how to lay these babies. Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks again DIY team!:thumbsup:

 

[kaciuba]

concrete slab

Ahh yes and I should also add that I will be installing it on to a new concrete slab.

Regards,

Mike.

 

[schraggyj]

I just finished laying 600 sq ft of solid tongue and groove 15 mm bamboo. I used a special 18 gauge flooring stapler that I had to get online because my local big boxes didn't carry. Given you are on a concrete slab I would recommend a glue down application. I left a 1/4 in expansion gap.

I hope that helps. Are you installing on grade or below?

 

[kaciuba]

Thanks for your advice mate. Will most likely go glue now.

Not sure what you mean by grade or below?

Also what are your thoughts on door frames? I have conflicting reports on whether I should cut the bamboo around the door frames and then putty up or I have had a couple of people recommend I trim the door frames off of the ground so that I can run the wood directly under. What did you do?

Thank again.

Mike,

 

[schraggyj]

I cut all the door trim and pulled all the floor trim so I could put the bamboo underneath the floor and door trim. Honestly, my least favorite part was cutting the door trim.

If you do glue down, I don't think you place glue in the actual tongue and groove, but that is the opinion of someone who has never done it. I do believe that you will want some painter's tape to hold each tongue and grove together while the glue dries. Also be careful on the selection of glue, my manufacturer had a big bold warning about selecting "glue approved for bamboo."

By grade I was asking whether you were installing it in the basement on or on the main floor?

Good luck.