All of the principles regarding expansion as set out in the guide to gluing over concrete apply also when "floating" the bamboo floor. The bamboo can be floated over almost any surface as long as it is stable, completely flat and reasonably smooth.
When the floor is being floated over a concrete or tiled subfloor it is necessary to incorporate a moisture barrier type underlay. Generally the underlay comes in rolls with stick down edging. Bamboo Brisbane is now importing high quality underlay manufactured to our exacting standards and for use with Bamboo floors.. When your floor is being "floated" over a ply subfloor it is not necessary to use the underlay with the moisture barrier and the other underlay is less expensive.
Normally it is best to run the planks length ways along your longer wall since expansion is more pronounced across the floor than in the length run of planks. Only place sufficient underlay to get started and as the job progresses add a further run of underlay as you go. Our flooring is the Tongue & Groove variety and the T&G is glued together using a PVA glue.
We use a Cross linked Aquadhere glue for this purpose. I recommend you purchase it in a 1 litre plastic bottle then fill smaller more easily used squirt bottles to run a fine bead of the glue on the UNDER side of the tongue right around the plank. You don't need much of the glue to fix the planks together, and the excess glue will only be extruded when you tap the planks together. That is the reason you place the glue on the underside of the tongue since if you do so on the upper side any excess glue will be deposited on the upper finished surface causing considerable problems with cleaning it off.
If for some reason you do get the glue onto the upper surface it is necessary to immediately remove it from the surface. Next day the glue will be almost impossible to remove without damaging the finished surface of the floor. Therefore it is prudent to only install three or four Sq M of flooring, then check that section before moving on.
]]>Preparation of Slab
Before laying your bamboo flooring, it is necessary to ensure the concrete slab is dry before proceeding. An easy way to determine this is to tape a sheet of black plastic to approx a square metre of the slab, cover and allow to sit for several days. If no beads of moisture are apparent at the end of the test it is reasonable to assume that the slab is dry. It is very important to perform this test in in wet or humid conditions.
All new slabs, however, must be sealed with a suitable epoxy type sealant. Both Sika and Bostik manufacture suitable products for this purpose. NO WATER BASED SEALANTS ARE TO BE USED. Check to see if a curing period is required for the product used before proceeding.
Some slabs will require a degree of leveling. Suitable filling compounds are available from hardware stores. Also ensure that the surface is dust free before laying.
Glueing of Bamboo Flooring
To successfully glueing a bamboo floor you must allow for expansion of the bamboo, therefore you must leave space against walls and contact edges. It is advisable, particularly in larger rooms, to allow a minimum of 15mm. Where the home is still under construction it is recommended to keep the gyprock up 18mm from the slab in any rooms over 6 metres wide. This will allow for extra expansion if required. We recommend using 19mm wide skirting for this purpose.
Again, NO water based adhesive is to be used. Sika and Bostik manufacture glues specifically for this purpose, although other brands do have suitable products.
Commence the laying process by spreading the adhesive, using a 6mm V notched trowel, lengthwise along the wall from which you wish to start. It is advisable to spread only about 3sqm at a time.
It is necessary to select planks from several boxes of flooring as you proceed. There is a natural colour variation in the flooring which is an attractive feature when variation is spread across the room. It is also recommended to vary the length of the bamboo board as you commence each row to avoid a regular pattern, which for most people is an undesirable feature.
The boards can be tapped together using an off cut of the flooring to ensure that the joints are tight. As you complete each 3sqm section, ensure that the surface is clean of any adhesive residue before commencing the next section.
Once a reasonable section of flooring is complete, it is recommended you place some of the unopened boxes over the laid floor to assist with adhesion.
Where the room involves internal edges or where the floor meets a sliding door, etc, allowance still must be made for expansion. This can be achieved by using a coloured elastic gap filler, matched to the floor colour, or using a more discreet 15 x 15mm quarter round mold to cover the joint. We carry a range of moldings for this purpose.
In any wet areas or against external weather doors it is necessary to incorporate waterproof gap filler between the bamboo and the door. In kitchen areas particular care must be taken to seal any edges with a flexible waterproof gap filler, particularly around sink or dishwasher areas.
As each room is completed check over the floor for any small gaps that may have appeared in the T&G joint. This may have occurred due to slight unevenness of the floor or minor variations in the plank size. These gaps can be filled with the selected coloured gap filler, giving the finished floor a professional appearance. Acrylic type gap fillers can be used for this purpose and Selleys make a suitable coloured range.
Any residue should be immediately removed using a damp cloth. Once the floor is almost completely dry polish any off any slight remaining residue with a dry soft cloth. I personally prefer a colour tone fractionally darker than the floor itself. As the floor expands some of this filler may be extruded which can be easily removed by cutting it back to the surface level.
Once the job is complete make sure all "gap spaces" are removed before the skirting is installed. This should be done approx 24 hours after the floor is glued. Please contact Bamboo Brisbane if you need any further clarification or information regarding the laying process.
]]>Glue or Float?
Personally I think "floating" is the best option when going over concrete. It works out cheaper is more easily done and does not require the concrete to be sealed using expensive twin pack sealants which give off fumes and in most cases require a curing period before the floor can be glued to it.
Some people think floating may result in a "drummy" artificial feel to the floor. While this may have been the case with some cheap ply backed floors, bamboo flooring is heavy and when installed with a quality underlay, the floor will present as a regular nailed down timber floor underfoot.
Professional Assistance
If you are thinking of installing the floor yourself, consider hiring a professional installer to spend four hours with you to get you started. This service is $250 and may well be worth the cost to give you the confidence to do the job more effectively. At Bamboo Brisbane we have worked with the same two professional installers for many years. We only entrust our flooring to them. Their work is second to none. They also fully guarantee there install for 5 years. Both the installers are independent to Bamboo Brisbane, however they do all our install work.
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