Tips for Installing Bamboo Flooring

Thanks to its environmentally friendly qualities, Bamboo floors are gaining popularity. Bamboo floors are available in a variety of constructions, designs and finishes. A bamboo floor is essentially a type of engineered wood floor. Installing it is therefore relatively easy.

The ease with which a bamboo floor can be installed depends on the type of subfloor over which you are planning to install it. Installation over a wooden subfloor is easy but if you are planning to install it over a concrete subfloor you may need to hire a professional to do the job well and to ensure that the manufacturer’s warranty conditions are met.

If you like the idea of a sustainable wood floor in your house and would like to install it yourself read on to learn more.

Steps for Installing Bamboo Floors

Order Your Flooring Material

Once you have chosen the bamboo flooring that you would like to install in your house, determine the amount of flooring you will need. You can use the free no obligation measurement services of Contempo Floor Coverings to accurately determine the amount of flooring material you will need.

Examine the Material and Go through Warranty Conditions

Once the material arrives, examine it carefully for defects in construction, staining and finish. Ensure that the material is uniform in color and pattern. Ordering material from a flooring store like Contempo Floor Coverings will ensure that you do not face nasty surprises at this stage.

Go through the warranty conditions and installation instructions of the manufacturer carefully. You would not like to void the warranty simply because you chose the wrong vapor barrier!

A Bamboo floor can be installed like any other wood floor over a clean, smooth, level and dry subfloor. A vapor barrier may however be needed if you want to install it over a concrete floor. Remember that a bamboo floor, like other wood floors, is susceptible to damage from moisture and excess heat.

Installing the Bamboo Floor

• Acclimate – Let the bamboo floor acclimate to the heat and moisture levels in the room where you want to install it. Remember that different rooms in the same house can have different heat and moisture conditions. A wood floor is therefore best acclimated by keeping it for 1-3 days in the same room where it will eventually be installed.
• Examine the Grain variations and determine the lay out – Carefully examine the variations in color and pattern of the different pieces. Ensure that you mix the different colored pieces to give the floor a natural appearance.
• Consider the Subfloor- Refer to the installation and warranty conditions of the floor. Remember to ensure that the subfloor and base of the bamboo floor is in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. If installing over a wood subfloor, you may need to sand the surface and nail or screw down the sub floor at six inches intervals to eliminate squeaking. A vapor barrier may or may not be required depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations and warranty conditions. For concrete subfloors you will need to fill in any holes and install a vapor barrier if the difference in the moisture level of the subfloor and the bamboo floor is more than 3 percent. If you have a vinyl subfloor it may be prudent to glue the bamboo floor to the subfloor.
• Base moldings and expansion spaces –Remember to remove base moldings and door thresholds. You will also need to leave an expansion gap of .25 to .5 inches at the margins of the floor. Using spacers will ensure that the expansion gap is uniform all round the floor. The base moldings will be reinstalled after the bamboo floor has been installed and will cover the expansion spaces at the margins.
• Fix the pieces in place, carefully – Use a tapping block to hit the pieces of bamboo floor. You can also use a rubber mallet for this purpose. Avoid hitting the floor too hard or you might fracture the edges.
• Finishing – If you have a prefinished bamboo floor you are ready to enjoy the results of your workmanship. If you have chosen an unfinished wood floor you will need to fill any imperfections with putty and sand the floor with coarse grit, medium grit and fine grit paper in that sequence. Layers of finish can then be applied to the sanded floor to complete the installation.

If you think that self installation is difficult, the professional installation services of Contempo Floor Coverings are just a phone call away. You can also consider other solid hardwood and engineered wood flooring options in place of bamboo flooring.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.