Bamboo Refined offers a variety of high quality bamboo flooring.
Please read and follow our installation instructions carefully to ensure best results.
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Pre-Installation Considerations
· Examine (check) flooring regarding grade, style, quality and straightness in a well-lit surrounding.
· Avoid storing bamboo (boards) for a long period on concrete or close to outside walls.
· All major constructions (building) work involving any moist substances should be completed before installing bamboo flooring.
· We do not recommend installation in bathrooms, laundries or wet areas unless sub-floor as well as bamboo has been sealed beforehand. |
Sub Floor Types
· Plywood
· Existing Wood Floor
· Resilient tile and Sheet Vinyl (Floating or Glued down only)
· Underlayment grade particle board (Floating or Glued down only)
· Concrete Slab (Floating or Glued down only)
· Ceramic Tile (Floating or Glued down only)
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Sub-Floor Requirements
· Suitable are plywood (min 10mm), wood, resilient tile, grade particle board, concrete stab or ceramic tile floors if structurally sound.
· Clean thoroughly and remove any grease, paint, sealer, wax, old coating, adhesive or other substances.
· Roughing up of surface (sanding or grinding) may be necessary to improve glue adhesion.
· An even level within 5mm per 3m radius is required.
· Ensure sub-floor is and stays always dry. We suggest an initial moisture meter test. If moisture content exceeds 4% apply approved moisture barrier.
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Specific Sub-Floor types
Wood
· If you have floor squeaks cure them now by screwing or nailing sub flooring securely.
· Sand wood sub flooring to ensure a smooth even surface, then clean up all dust and particles with a vacuum. The floor must be clean and free of any dirty, wax, paint, or anything that could interfere with installation.
· Add the recommended moisture barrier if required. This will enhance flooring performance.
· If you have a wood subfloor the direct fastening method seems to be the preference. However experienced installers prefer the use of staples over common flooring cleats. The consensus is they seem to provide better holding capability without squeaks or other sounds.
· Particleboard does not provide adequate holding of the nails and is therefore not considered an acceptable sub-floor material.
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Concrete
· Subfloor must be properly cured and tested for moisture content. Slab must be properly cured. If moisture meter is unavailable, tape a 2'x2' section of clear plastic to concrete slab, forming an airtight seal. If condensation or discoloration appears on plastic after 24-48 hours, moisture content is too high for wood flooring installation.
· Flooring must not be installed if vapor pressure exceeds 3 lbs. per 1000 square feet in 24 hours using calcium chloride test method.
· Concrete needs to be sound, smooth, level and flat with a maximum variation of 1/8" in 10' or 5mm per 3m radius.
· If moisture barrier is required a manufacturers recommend using a 6 mil polyurethane sheeting.
· 3/8" plywood can be placed over concrete prior to installation.
· If there is radiant heat in the floor, gluing down is recommended.
· We recommend using Bostick's Best wood flooring adhesive.
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Ceramic Tile, Resilient Tile and Sheet Vinyl
· Do not sand existing vinyl floors, because they may contain asbestos.
· Must be well bonded to subfloor, in good condition, clean and level.
· Free from any contaminates and may require sanding or grinding to improve glue adhesion.
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Laying Bamboo Flooring
· Bamboo flooring material and containers of adhesive should be conditioned at normal room temperature for 72 hours before beginning bamboo flooring installation
Acclimatising bamboo
· Lay out flooring for visual selection. The careful placement of color and grain will enhance the beauty of the finished floor.
· Stack into colour range for blending
· Check boards, tongue and grooves for irregularities.
· Choose the straightest boards for initial runs
· Door casing should be undercut or notched so flooring will fit underneath.
· Begin each row from the same end in the room.
· Our suggestion with bamboo; play it safe and allow as much expansion as possible. Small layouts or square rooms may only need 1/4" expansion, but if the installation flows into other rooms and runs in excess of 40 feet or thereabouts, more expansion area should be allowed up to ˝". Do install any floating floors against a fixed object such as fireplace hearths, columns etc... This will result buckled floors!
· To ensure that starter rows are secured firmly, blind nailing or wedging is advised.
· First row should be laid parallel to the longest wall.
· It can be a good idea to pre-lay the boards to get a 'feel' for how they will look once laid.
· A chalk line is laid for the first rows by measuring and laying a straight line from the starting wall. This is measured from by adding the wall gap plus the width of the board. For keeping a straight line guide.
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Nailed Down Flooring
· See preinstallation instructions and subfloor requirements.
· Additional rows should be blind nailed directly above the tongue at a 45-50 degree angle to the face.
· Air compressors should be set to 80 PSI (or manufacturers suggested PSI) some recommend 100 PSI some experimentation will be required.
Air nail gun in use
· Nails/fasteners should be 12" apart, and should not be less than 6" from the ends of the planks. With minimum of 2 fasteners per plank.
· If tongue damage occurs, lower the air pressure or hand nail where needed.
· To prevent splitting, nails should not be placed closer than 6 inches from the end of the plank. The recommended nails are 1 1/2" - 1 3/4" long, and the recommended staples guns are either or Stanley Bostich M3 for the installation.
· If nails consistently bend when trying to secure flooring. Some may find it best to pre-drill and hand nail flooring for better results.
· If spacing between wall and first rows of flooring does not allow room for nail gun, fasten by face nailing, gluing, pre-drilling and edge nailing by hand with hammer and nail set or a combination of these.
· Counter-sink any face nails below surface and fill with matching wood putty.
· Place wedging between wall and flooring to assist in accurate spacing.
· Remember to stagger end joints from row to row and use cut ends larger than 8" to begin following rows. This creates a stronger more stable floor.
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Glue Down Flooring
Floating Flooring
MATERIALS NEEDED
1. Use a recognized foam underlay (Softion, Regupol) and Waterproof tape to join underlay.
2. Use a ‘recognized’ brand of industrial strength white PVA cross linked adhesive like Roberts 6355
INSTRUCTIONS
· Lay foam underlayment placing edges together. Tape full length of the to joined edges.
· Floating bamboo floors need expansion area as do other types of bamboo installations. Often misinformed salespeople confuse laminate flooring expansion with hardwood or bamboo. Laminate manufacturers use 5/16" as a guide. Our suggestion with bamboo; play it safe and allow as much expansion as possible. Small layouts or square rooms may only need 1/4" expansion, but if the installation flows into other rooms and runs in excess of 40 feet or thereabouts, more expansion area should be allowed up to ˝". Beware don't install any floating floors against a fixed object such as fireplace hearths, columns etc... This will result buckled floors!
· Use wood or plastic spacers to aid in maintaining this space
· Glue end joins of row by applying glue to bottom of the groove.
· Lay following row s by applying glue to side and end joins of planks as they are laid.
· Use a block and hammer to tap the boards into position
· If glue gets on surface of plank immediately wipe with warm damp cloth.
· Stagger row ends for stronger more stable floor.
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Finishing
· If floating or glued floor avoid all traffic for 24 hours.
· Remove spacers and install mouldings to cover spaces.
· Dust and vacuum floor.
· Read Care instructions.
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