Bamboo Flooring Installation: Choosing The Right Material - By: Ernest Jarquio, Posted on: 2007-08-09

Bamboo flooring is often the choice of home owners who prefer its look and environmental quality. Being naturally resistant to bugs, it is also durable and adds beauty to the home. If bamboo wood is your flooring choice, here are tips on how to choose, install and maintain them:

Deciding On Your Bamboo Flooring

The first thing to consider when buying bamboo flooring is the color. Because it comes in many colors and hues, it's a good idea to consider the space where you're going to set it up.

If you want to get the best value for your dollar - high quality at a lower price - there is one basic thing that you must make sure you do: canvass at least 3 sources of bamboo so that you can compare their offerings.

After determining the color that you want, you need to decide on the style of bamboo flooring that you need. You can choose from 3 different makes. There is engineered bamboo floor, which is in fact the laminate version of bamboo. Secondly, the most durable version is strand-woven bamboo floor. Third is solid bamboo flooring, which is in fact similar to hardwood flooring in that it is made directly from the bamboo material and is available in varying lengths.

The grain of the bamboo flooring is also important. If the grain is very fine, it's a vertical grain. If the grain is wider, it's a horizontal grain. Usually, you might want to use horizontal grain in larger, wider rooms while smaller rooms will look best with vertical grains.

Installing Bamboo Flooring

Once the bamboo flooring has arrived, place the planks in the room where you will be using them and let them air for about 2 to 3 days. Acclimatization is important in most natural flooring to make sure they adjust properly to the room's temperature and humidity level. The bamboo can then shrink or swell accordingly, so you will be ready for any warps or gaps later. Make sure the room temperature is maintained during the acclimatization period and that no moisture is present in the room.

One of the most important factors in how successful your flooring installation is going to be is: how well did you prepare the sub-floor - that is, the surface on which your new flooring will be laid. The basic requirements for the sub-floor are: (1) It should be not have high-moisture content, and (2) It should not have any bumps or pock-marks that will interfere with the alignment of the floor.

To further ensure that unwanted moisture becomes a problem in the future, you could take the extra step of including an underlayment with a moisture-resistant material such as vinyl. Note too that if you are going to have radiant heat sub-floors, it is a good idea to implement floating installation as you don't want the bamboo to be directly in contact with the heat. On the other hand if you have a smooth concrete sub-floor, gluing the bamboo boards will work well. If your sub-floor is made of wood, nailing the bamboo down is probably the best option.

Once you have the sub-floor ready, determine your starting wall. This will help you mark your working line. Make sure the starting wall is as straight as possible. Before installation, try to lay out the bamboo flooring to see how the floor will look like. Natural floor has slight variations in color and knowing which plank to place where will help you maximize the final look of your flooring.

You will need to leave a gap of about a quarter-inch to a half-inch between the starting wall and the first row of flooring. Mark up this starting line. This gap is provision for any future expansion and will be covered by molding. The first row should be made up of the straightest planks that you can select from your supply, because they will become the guide which will eventually determine how the rest of the planks will line up with each other. Use the drill to create pilot holes that will later be used by the finishing nails - these holes must of course be spaced out evenly. Then face-nail the floor planks through the sub-floor.

Now for the second row, align the planks unevenly from the first. The end of each plank should be at least six inches along from that of the previous one. Drill pilot holes at each end at a forty-five degree angle and then drill spaced every ten inches on the tongue of the plank. Make sure each board fits closely against each other. To do this you need to tap it, but use a piece of tapping wood. If you hit the bamboo directly you may harm it.

Follow the same steps when installing the next planks, being careful to tap them into place to keep them tight against the previous row. Use a pry bar and a block to tap the final row before installing the baseboard molding.

Maintaining Bamboo Flooring

Treat bamboo flooring as you would other types of wood floors. Regularly clean it with a cotton mop or soft broom to prevent the accumulation of dirt, dust and sand. Sand and other rough dirt can scratch the surface and break the finish, making the bamboo flooring more vulnerable to damage and moisture.

A vacuum cleaner with soft brush head is also a great way to clean in the grooves. Clean up spills immediately. If you notice wear spots, apply a paste wax to keep a beautiful finish.

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