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Below are GENERAL GUIDELINES for installing a wood floor.
INSPECTION: Carefully inspect all bamboo flooring & accessories as well as each flooring plank before installation. Any material installed with visual defects will not be warranted. Manufacturer does not warrant installation. Customer is responsible for maintaining normal humidity conditions (40-60%) within the installation location. The manufacturer is not responsible for environmental conditions that cause excessive expansion and/or contraction.
General conditions: General conditions: In area to be installed, temperature and humidity must be brought to normal usage levels at least 72 hours before installation and maintained at those levels after installation. Flooring should be allowed to acclimate on site at least 72 hours before installation. Please open top or sides of boxes for acclimation, but do not remove the boards. Be sure to use your moisture meter to check moisture levels in both the sub-floor and the bamboo flooring before installation
Radiant Heated floors: Not all of our floors are warranted for use with a radiant heat flooring. Please consult the individual warranties for each product before you purchase.
Applications: Depending on the product, it may be stapled or glued down over wood sub floors, glued directly to concrete sub-floors, above or below grade surfaces (if installed below grade we recommend using membrane or like product), or installed as floating flooring. For all types of installation, joints must be staggered 10" to 20". Manufacturer recommends bridging the flooring across the floor joist. NOTE: Manufacturer does not recommend installing over or onto particleboard, (OSB is the only exception).
Sub-floor Surfaces must be clean, dry, smooth and free of dirt, wax, oil, paint, curing agents and other contaminants that would interfere with adhesive bond. Old resilient floors can be installed over provided above conditions apply. Wood sub-floors must be sanded level prior to new installation. Concrete sub-floors must have all cracks and holes filled with a cementitious patching material (Ardex or equal). Concrete sub-floors must be tested for moisture and not exceed three pounds per 1,000 square feet using the calcium chloride test.
Work out of multiple (2-3) boxes. Bamboo is a natural product and has natural color variations. Bamboo flooring is separated by shade at the factory. There are no standards for this so the shade differences between cartons may be noticeable. Mixing cartons creates a natural, random shade effect.
Nail Down: Planks shall be started square with the room and parallel to its longest dimension by positioning with a chalk line, leaving 1/4" expansion space from base plate or wall. Ensure starter rows are firmly in place by wedging or face nailing. Once initial rows are secure, second and further courses shall be blind nailed directly above tongue at a 45-50 degree angle to the face. Fasteners shall be spaced at 10-12 inch intervals with a minimum of 3 fasteners per piece. NOTE: There will not be a guarantee for Bamboo flooring installed over or onto particleboard. (OSB is the exception). Be sure to take few boards and practice on them to set the proper pressures in the nail gun, if the pressure is to low the nail will try to split the board as Bamboo flooring is very hard. Please take the time to set your nail guns pressures before you start and the job will fast as well as easy.
Glue Down: The glue must be 100% urethane. We offer a very high quality flooring adhesive (Durabond D332, manufactured by Bostik) that meets these requirements. Check with glue manufacturer for warranty information and installation instructions for trowel size, then using the proper trowel, spread the glue. Inspect each board before installation. Planks should be started square with the room and parallel to its longest dimension by positioning with a chalk line, leaving 1/4" expansion space from the base plate or wall. Make sure the starter rows are firmly in place by a wedge or spacer. Once initial rows are secure, use adhesive in manner recommended by the glue manufacturers instructions. Remove spacers once the job is complete.
Tongue and Groove Floating: Install underlay membrane over cement sub floor. The manufacturer recommends a "3 in 1" membrane. Follow manufacturer's installation instruction for installing underlayment. DO NOT remove flooring from the packages until you are ready to begin installation. Removing the boards prior to acclimating the flooring could result in a difficult installation. Inspect each board before installation. Lay down the first board at the right end of the starting wall with the tongue facing toward you. Be sure to leave 1/2" wide space between the floor and wall. You can use expansion shims at 12" intervals. Apply a continuous 1/8" thick bead of tongue and groove glue (urethane glues only) to the top inside of the grove (long and short side) on each board. Never apply glue to the tongue or fill the groove. Place the tapping block against the tongue side of the board and tap with a hammer. Never hammer on the grooved side. Make sure all joints are tight. Immediately wipe off excess glue with a damp cloth. Start each new row on the right side with the remaining portion of the previous board. The end joint must be at least 18" from the end joint in the row before it. The last row will probably need to be cut lengthwise. To measure the last row, place a board directly on top of the last installed row of the boards. Scribe the row and cut to fit. Use the last board puller to position the boards together.
Wear gloves and long sleeves. Spread with a notched trowel as recommended by the adhesive manufacturer. Planks shall be started square with the room and parallel to its longest dimension by positioning with a chalk line, leaving 1/4" expansion space from base plate or wall. Ensure starter rows are firmly in place by wedging or face nailing. Once initial rows are secure, use adhesive in a Wet-Lay method of installation as follows: Apply adhesive to substrate with suitable trowel. Immediately place flooring onto "wet" adhesive. Spread no more adhesives than can be worked with in a forty-minute period (100 to 200 sq. ft.). Clean any adhesive that comes in contact with the face of the plank immediately.
Moisture: While bamboo flooring is much more stable than most woods, it is still subject to damage when in direct contact with a constantly wet slab. We offer products such as Bostik's Durabond D288 Moisture Vapor Protection if you have even the slightest concern about moisture in your subfloor. The bamboo must be isolated from this type of slab by use of a reverse vinyl or sleeper sub floor. Urethane adhesive will usually fail when vapor pressure exceeds 3 pounds per 1000 sq. ft. in 24 hours. Bamboo flooring cannot be glued down under those conditions.
Bamboo Floor Installation
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