Titebond 771 Step for bamboo flooring

Best Bamboo Flooring Adhesives

by

When choosing the best flooring adhesives for your project, there are definitely some reasonably priced options available in the market. Choosing an adhesive may depend on what type of subfloor you have in your installation project. Here is a guide to help you choose the best adhesives for your bamboo flooring.

Titebond 771 Step for bamboo flooring

Our Top Pick: For most bamboo and hardwood installations, we now recommend Titebond 771-Step Wood Floor Adhesive. It rolls adhesive, vapor barrier, and sound barrier into a single product, so you can skip a separate underlayment and finish the install faster.

Hardwood and Bamboo Flooring Adhesive Types

Urethane Flooring Adhesive (also used for solid hardwoods)

This moisture cure adhesive is typically used over plywood, tile, and even existing hardwoods. Many brands on the market are very well known, such as Bostik and Titebond, and can be found in most big box stores.

Urethane Flooring Adhesive with Moisture and Sound Barrier (also used for solid hardwoods)

For installations over concrete slabs or crawl spaces where subfloor moisture is a real concern, an adhesive with a built-in moisture and sound barrier earns its keep. This is where Titebond 771-Step stands out as our current go-to recommendation.

What makes 771-Step different from a standard adhesive:

  • It’s an all-in-one. Adhesive, vapor barrier, and sound barrier in a single application. No separate underlayment to roll out, tape, or trim.
  • It’s certified for green building. Meets LEED v4 criteria and is FloorScore® certified for indoor air quality, which matters if you care about what your house off-gasses (and we do).
  • It’s quiet. Acoustic ratings of IIC 69 and STC 67 are strong enough for high-rise condominiums where sound transmission between floors is a real spec to hit.
  • It’s a 100% solids formula. No water and no solvents in the mix means minimal shrinkage as it cures, and it resists mold and mildew over time.
  • It cures fast. Less downtime, faster turnaround on the job.
Pro Tip: Whichever adhesive you pick, use the trowel notch size the manufacturer specifies. The wrong notch changes the spread rate, and a glue spread that’s too thin or too thick is one of the most common reasons a bamboo install fails months later (cupping, hollow spots, the works).

The Two Methods for Gluing Down Bamboo Floors

Flash Method

This method involves the adhesive being allowed to “flash” for the recommended amount of time before installing the flooring. Using this method requires you to trowel out large portions of the room so you can then spend most of the time laying the planks down. It’s important not to exceed the flash time recommendations and not trowel more floor area than you can realistically cover within a 2-hour window.

Wet Lay Method

This method involves applying the adhesive to the substrate with a trowel and then immediately placing the flooring planks onto the “wet” adhesive. The installer should not spread any more adhesive than can be worked on within a forty-minute time period. Should adhesive come in contact with the face of the plank, wipe it off immediately. To prevent slippage, use blue painters’ tape perpendicularly along the lengths of the planks. This tape can be removed once the adhesive has set.

Keep in mind; whichever method you use, once the floor is glued down, it won’t be easy to get back up.

A trowel with the label V notch trowel next to it

Using a Urethane Bamboo Flooring Glue

When using the glue-down method, select a premium wood floor adhesive, preferably one that is urethane-based and not water-based. Ideally, you should use an adhesive that contains 0% water. Always check with the manufacturer for warranty information, installation instructions, and guidelines for safe use and storage. Once cured, urethane adhesives are waterproof, elastomeric, and provide a tough, flexible, tenacious bond to a wide range of surfaces.

How to Remove Dried Adhesive From Bamboo Flooring

Even with careful technique, some adhesive will end up on the surface of a finished plank during install. If you catch it while wet, a damp cloth handles it. If you don’t catch it until it’s dried, you need a more deliberate process.

The 7-step removal procedure

  1. Apply Bostik Ultimate Adhesive Remover. Bostik makes both a liquid and a pre-soaked towel version. The towels are easier for spot work; the liquid is better for larger areas. Apply a small amount directly to the dried adhesive.
  2. Let it sit for 15 minutes. The remover needs time to penetrate. Don’t let it sit longer than that, since extended liquid contact can leave its own marks on the finish.
  3. Wipe with a soft, absorbent cloth. Pull off the loosened adhesive with a dry cloth. Avoid scrubbing aggressively at this stage. You’re lifting, not grinding.
  4. Reapply the remover if needed. Stubborn dried adhesive often takes two passes. Apply again to the same spot.
  5. Wait one minute. Shorter on the second pass since the residue is already loosened.
  6. Use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for the last bits. Magic Eraser handles the final film of residue without scratching the finish. Use it gently and protect your skin.
  7. Clean the area thoroughly. After the adhesive is gone, check for any oily residue from the remover. Wipe with a damp cloth, then dry with a clean cloth. Any oil left behind can attract dirt over time.

If the dried adhesive won’t come off

A few options when the standard procedure fails. Test denatured alcohol on a hidden plank first (in a closet or under furniture) and verify it doesn’t strip the finish. If the test passes, apply small amounts to the dried adhesive and gently work it loose. If the test fails, or if the adhesive is genuinely fused to the plank surface, the cleanest fix is to remove and replace the affected plank.

Avoid this common mistake: Don’t use sandpaper, steel wool, or abrasive scrapers on bamboo to remove glue. They strip the finish faster than they remove the adhesive. The chemical-then-Magic-Eraser approach works because it dissolves the glue without touching the surrounding finish.

Overview of The Different Installation Methods

Nail-Down Method

Nailing down a bamboo floor to a wood subfloor is the traditional method of installation. Nails, or sometimes staples, are driven in at a specific angle through the tongue and then hidden by the next plank. Since the nails and staples are hidden, this method is sometimes called “blind or secret nailing.”

Floating Method

A floating floor is actually attached only to itself and not to the subfloor underneath, making it a suitable option to go over any subfloor, regardless of whether it’s wood, concrete, tile, or vinyl. A floating floor is also fairly simple to install, making it a method many DIYers and weekend renovation warriors choose.

Glue-Down Method

This method involves gluing the actual bamboo planks to the subfloor, and that subfloor can either be concrete or plywood. Although it can be messier than nailing down or floating, this method is usually the best installation option because it provides the strongest bond. The adhesive acts as a sound barrier, preventing the irritating squeaks associated with the nail-down or floating installation methods.

When choosing this installation method, wear long sleeves and gloves to keep your skin from making contact with the flooring adhesive.