There are three separate installation methods for Bamboo flooring, glue-down, nail-down, and floating. The method that you choose will depend on a whole host of things, including whether you’ll be installing the floor yourself, how big the room is, and what type of subfloor you have.

In this guide, we’re looking at how to float a bamboo floor, but we have guides for the other methods in our archive too. If you aren’t sure if the floating method is right for you, then scroll down a bit and you’ll find all the information you need to make the right choice for you.

If you’re already certain that you want to install a floating bamboo floor, then follow the guide below.

Installing a floating bamboo floor

Prior to installation

As with all big projects, you can’t just jump right in. There’s a little bit of prep work that you need to do first, including ordering the bamboo, gathering your tools, and prepping your subfloor. Don’t worry, we’ll go through it step-by-step.

1.      Ordering the bamboo

When you order your bamboo, you’ll need to measure the size of the room(s) that it will be installed in. But you should really add 7-10% on top of that for cutting/waste.

Believe us, there’s nothing worse than realizing you didn’t order enough to cover the floor and having to do a secondary order to complete the installation. Especially if you’ve already started laying it!

If you have some left over after installation, that’s actually a good thing:

• you have spare planks in case of some localized damage to a plank – it’s easy to replace individual planks in floating bamboo floors
• you have a sacrificial plank to test cleaning products or finishes on so that you can see what it looks like without harming the laid planks

2.      Receiving the bamboo

Once the bamboo is in your house, you should open the boxes and inspect the planks for damage as accidents can happen during transport even if the planks are properly packaged. Keep the boxes in case you need to return the planks.

If you find any planks with visible damage, don’t use them. Let the manufacturer know about the situation and ask what their returns policy is. Sometimes they might ask for photos.

At this point, you should also check the manufacturer’s installation guide to make sure that your chosen method or location of installation is covered. Voiding the warranty is a costly error.

3.      Prepping a subfloor

Before installing, you’ll need to prep your subfloor to ensure that the installation goes as smoothly as possible. Don’t worry, it’s a really simple task, but it may take a couple of days.

The process

First, clear and clean the room. Obviously, you can’t install a floor over the toys that your child left out… Well, technically you could as it’ll float above them, but it might make your kids cry.

Now, check that the subfloor is level (with a maximum difference of 3/16″ per 10-foot area). If not, correct it by sanding down the floor or using appropriate patching materials to fill in dips.

Next, check that your subfloor is structurally sound – that’s not something you want to find out afterwards.

• check whether any wood planks are loose or squeaky and screw them down if needed
• check that the wood subfloor is  at least ¾ inch thick by drilling a small hole in the subfloor
• checking for cracks in concrete that go beyond the parge coat

Ensure you have a dry sub-floor

Your subfloor will need to be dry year-round in order to float (or otherwise install) a bamboo floor over it or it’s at risk of warping or cupping over time. Plus, you won’t even be able to return the planks, because you’ll have voided your warranty. Luckily, there’s a simple test.

Wood Subfloor

The easiest way to test for moisture in a wood subfloor is through a pinless floor moisture meter, which gives a reading accurate to one-tenth of a percent. It gives a digital display for ease of reading and will avoid weakening the floor through sanding or drilling.

Concrete Subfloor

There are several methods for testing a concrete subfloor for moisture, which are outlined in the video above, but the easiest way is to purchase a moisture testing kit (from the flooring section of a hardware store). The test has a test strip that will change color depending on the moisture levels in your floor. It’s like a mood ring, but not a scam.

Note: This test should only be done over 60 days after a concrete floor has been fully cured or it will give an inaccurate reading.

Now, there is likely to be some sort of moisture in your subfloor and that could be okay. After all, bamboo was grown in a hot and humid environment; it can handle a little moisture. Check with your manufacturer, but the general recommendations are that wood subfloors have a moisture level below 12% and that concrete subfloors have a moisture level below 3 lbs per square foot.

4.      Got crawl space?  Make sure it’s sealed off to avoid moisture issues

A favorite topic for horror films and Facebook click bait is that there could be someone living in your crawlspace, but, if you ask us, the really scary thought is that your crawlspace might have moisture problems that will cause serious problems for your floating bamboo flooring.

Thankfully, it’s pretty simple (and cheap!) to test for this using a thermo-hygrometer, as you can see in this YouTube video:

Also ensure your crawl space is sealed, for example you can lay polyethylene film (6-20 mm thickness) onto the ground in the crawlspace and seal with moisture-resistant tape

If you live in New York and you’re not irked by the idea of something living in your crawlspace, you could even rent it out. Apparently, it’s legal..? Don’t quote us on that.

5.      Eliminate sub-floor moisture issues

There are several ways to prevent moisture problems from affecting your bamboo floors:

• Reduce moisture levels with a dehumidifier (these can be rented from a big box store)
• Install a 3 in 1 underlayment/moisture barrier underneath the bamboo to prevent the moisture reaching the floo

6.      Acclimate your bamboo planks

Your bamboo should be taken out of it’s packaging and placed in the room that they are going to be installed in for a period of 72 hours (or the time noted from your moisture tests) to allow the planks to acclimate to the room’s moisture and humidity.

It’s not like doing the patch test for hair dye. You have to do this, otherwise, the boards may be installed improperly and could fail at a later date.

For seven days prior to installation, you have to keep the room’s temperature and humidity to something consistent with year-round levels. Most manufacturers recommended 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit and 40-60% humidity using a climate control system, but check your specific instructions.

7.      Gather your tools

• Mallet – choose a rubber one, it’ll be effective without harming the planks
• Chalk line
• Tapping block – if you don’t have one already, use a square block of wood
• Tape measure
• Moisture Resistant Adhesive – for the moldings
• Mitre saw
• Table saw
• 40-tooth saw blade – this is the minimum tooth count you should go for – higher tooth counts give a smoother cut
• Oscillating saw – this will be used to cut doorframes if needed
• Carpenter’s square
• 3-in-1 closed underlayment

For tongue and groove floors:

• Tongue and groove glue
• Specially designed tape to hold the planks together during installing – check your manufacturer’s instruction

Beginning your installation

Now that you’ve done all of the prep work, it’s finally time to start the installation.

As bamboo planks can vary in terms of color and shade between boxes, it’s important to work out of multiple boxes at once. This means that you can customize the look of the floor to your own personal tastes. Have a play around and see what works best in the room.

1.      Cut the bamboo planks

You can cut these to varying lengths to suit your own design scheme, but make sure that no plank is less than 8 inches in length. This is important because the butt ends of the planks in adjoining rows have to be at least 8 inches apart.

Importantly, some people think they know how long 8 inches is and their measurements often come up short. Use a tape measure to check.

2.      Lay the underlayment down

In order to give your beautiful bamboo planks added protection against moisture; you should lay a high-quality 3-in-1 underlayment on the subfloor, preferrably one with a self-adhering strip to assist in securing the rolls to each other once laid out. As a bonus, it also helps to soundproof the room. It’s not enough to get the band back together, but it will muffle the sound of heavy paws and clunky boots.

Remember that some underlayments are installed differently than others, so make sure to read the installation instructions that come with the underlayment itself.  For example, some underlayments are installed with the plactic moisture barrier film facing down, while others are installed with the film facing up.

3.      Lay your first row

Remember to leave ¼ – ½ inch between all planks that come into contact with structural elements such as walls, door frames, cabinets and islands by using expansion spacers. This means that there will be room for the floor to expand safety if there are big changes in humidity. Don’t worry about these gaps being seen, you’ll hide them later with moldings.

You can establish your working line by measuring for the mid-point between the two walls and putting down a chalk line. Make sure to leave the expansion space!  Depending on the shape of your room and how it connects to other rooms with visible bamboo flooring, you may choose to start in the top corner, in the centre of the room, or at a doorway.

You need to make sure the first row is firmly in place before you start installing subsequent rows, otherwise your floor alignment may get out of whack. Use the rubber mallet to ensure that all edges fit tightly together, but don’t hit the boards too hard or you could damage the planks.  You can always lay a heavy flooring box or two on the first row to make sure it doesn’t move.

• Click Lock Bamboo Flooring.  Start with the L-shaped side facing away from the wall. Push each subsequent row plank forward and down at the same time to ensure that the boards lock together. You should feel them snap into place.

• Tongue and Groove Bamboo Flooring.  Start with the tongue facing the wall.  Lay a bead of the tongue and groove glue in generous portion along the inside bottom seam of the grooved side of the planks on the side as well as the butt end, before the sliding the next plank’s tongue into place. Use the chosen tape to hold the boards together and make sure to remove it within 12 hours to avoid damaging the finish.

5.      Lay the subsequent rows

Start the second row with a cut plank that is at least 18 inches in length and insert the long edge of the board at a 20-30 degree angle adjacent to the first row. Make sure to use the mallet to ensure the planks are in place.

If the planks are not snugly fit, then remove them and attempt a tighter fit with new planks.

After you’ve installed the third row, check whether you need to straighten the floor. The longer you leave it, the more difficult it will be to fix. Repeat the instructions above, until you reach the last row.

6.      Cut and lay the final row

The final row may need to be cut lengthwise using the table saw so that it fits in the remaining space. Make sure to take expansion space into account when you measure to see how much of the plank you’ll need to cut.

7.      Install the moldings

Now it’s time to remove the expansion spacers and install your transition moldings. Unfortunately, they can’t be floated into place, so you will need to glue them using a urethane adhesive.

Then all you need to do is place something heavy on them and leave them overnight to set.

8.      Sweep the room

It’s inevitable that some dust will have been created when sawing the planks, so do a quick sweep of the floor and then you’re done.

9.      Relax

Now that you’ve installed the floor, you can sit back and relax. Have a coffee (or a cocktail if you’re so inclined) and begin using the room immediately.

Things to consider about the floating method

If you’re unsure whether or not to install your bamboo floor using the floating method, then here are the things you’ll need to consider.

Room Size

If you have stable year-round humidity or live in a place like Southern Florida then you don’t have to worry about run limits or installing transition strips at doorways.  However if you live in a area that experiences humidity swings, and you don’t have humidifiers or dehumidifers (or a humidity modulator built into your hvac system), you’ll need to take some precautions regarding the lengths of your runs.

Remember that solid floating hardwood/bamboo floors are susceptible to changes in humidity – so if you don’t have very stable indoor humidity, you’ll want to keep your successive runs of flooring down to 15 ft wide x 25 ft long.   For engineered floating hardwood/bamboo floors you get a little more space – 25 ft wide x 45 ft long.

Subfloor

Luckily, the floating method of installation works over almost any subfloor, except for cushion vinyl and rubber tiles.

You can install a floating bamboo floor over:

• Concrete
• Gypcrete
• Firm linoleum
• Ceramic/ marble
• OSB 3/4″ min
• VCT vinyl tiles
• Firm kitchen vinyl
• Asphalt Tile
• Existing wood floors
• Steel
• Advantech OSB
• Hardy/cement board/backer/cbu
• Plywood 5/8″ min
• Particleboard

Weight

A floating bamboo floor shouldn’t be installed under kitchen cabinets, heavy appliances, or weighty furniture, as they will pin down the planks and affect the bamboo’s ability to expand/ contract as humidity levels change.  Floating the planks under something heavy could damage the planks.

Humidity

Floating bamboo floors require a stable level of humidity that doesn’t vary more than 20% throughout the year. This means that if you live in an area with routine changes in humidity levels and your climate control system doesn’t have a humidity control, then you need to use humidifiers/dehumidifiers at times.

That’s about it for our look at installing a bamboo floor using the floating method. Now, we want to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

The post Installing Floating Bamboo Flooring: A Guide appeared first on The Greener Living Blog.