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Installing bamboo flooring

Aesthetic, durable flooring has already earned positive feedback from those who have decided to equip their apartments with bamboo flooring.

Parquet is always prestigious, beautiful and durable. Characteristics of bamboo flooring can be complemented by words: fashionable, environmentally friendly, stylish.

The raw material for the production of this material is grass, which is harder than many wood species. The coating is available in the form of planks, tiles of different sizes, shapes, textures, and colors.

Good ecological balance with bamboo parquet

Above all, bamboo parquet scores points in terms of resource conservation, because bamboo grows back extremely quickly compared to other typical parquet woods. Depending on the type of bamboo, the plant stems, which are hollow on the inside, often reach their full growth height after just four to six weeks. Beyond this sustainable aspect, however, bamboo parquet has a number of other advantages.

Kitchen and bathroom: the ideal rooms for bamboo parquet

When deciding for or against bamboo parquet, also consider the actual use of the room: kitchens and bathrooms are particularly suitable for laying bamboo parquet due to their humid room climate – unlike beech wood, for example, for which a humid room climate is unfavorable and leads to swelling of the parquet. Less suitable for bamboo parquet, on the other hand, are living rooms and bedrooms, since they tend to be dry and well heated according to use – where nevertheless desired, the use of an additional humidifier pays off.

Advantages and disadvantages of bamboo parquet

Bamboo floor advantages

One of the biggest advantages of bamboo is its fast growth. The Asian plant sometimes grows a whole meter in height per day. Therefore, especially in times of deforested forests, bamboo is a material that causes a good conscience. In addition, the unusual design of bamboo is a real change in flooring.

  • Fast-growing material
  • Special design
  • Tolerates a lot of moisture

Bamboo floor disadvantages

One of the advantages of bamboo is at the same time a disadvantage. This is because bamboo flooring needs moisture and therefore does not tolerate dryness or permanently high temperatures.

  • Underfloor heating is not possible with most floor coverings with bamboo
  • Under certain circumstances, even a humidifier must be installed
  • Permanently high room temperatures lead to joints and cracks
  • Bamboo parquet can squeak more

Additional information

Some manufacturers take advantage of the fact that bamboo is quite strong and durable. The carrier layer under the wear layer is then often chosen too thin to save costs. Avoidably, the wear layer is sufficient to make the floor stable due to the high-quality material of the bamboo. However, experience shows that heavy furniture placed on the flooring can easily cause dents or even breakage of the individual panels. Therefore, be sure to choose a support layer of MDF or stronger plywood.

Tip: Moving furniture must be equipped with felt glides. Although the surface of bamboo floors is firmer and more resistant, it is precisely for this reason that it can also be easily scratched. In addition, it is easier on the nerves if not every shifting of a chair immediately triggers a loud scratching or scraping.

Bamboo parquet kept alive – high humidity

Bamboo grows very quickly, requiring a lot of water. Later, this is also a great advantage in flooring with bamboo, because it remains very resistant to moisture. Therefore, bamboo likes to be installed as flooring in damp rooms. In the kitchen or bathroom, many other types of parquet can not be used at all, bamboo, on the contrary, is just right here. This is because the flooring actually requires moisture in order not to shrink or suffer damage. However, this high need for moisture can also be detrimental.

The humidity of a bamboo floor should never fall below 55 to 65 percent. According to experience, it is difficult to maintain this high value in living rooms where a fireplace is possibly also being operated. Depending on the type of bamboo floor, permanent temperatures above 20 degrees can also cause damage to the parquet. The floor forms gaps and can warp or even break.

Tip: If you still like to install a bamboo floor in a living space, you might want to consider using a humidifier. At first glance, it may seem disadvantageous and excessive to purchase a humidifier just for the flooring, but the higher humidity benefits not only the floor, but also the people who live in the rooms.

The basics of bamboo parquet care

When buying care products for your bamboo parquet, think first and foremost about its absorbency: cleaning agents containing dyes in red or blue can lead to unsightly discoloration of the floor. Instead, opt for a mild cleaning with care products that do not contain dyes. Basically, the following applies when cleaning parquet: Wipe the solid wood bamboo parquet damp, but not wet, avoiding puddles of water. Special care should be taken with bamboo laminate: The decorative layer of bamboo wood can peel off if exposed to too much moisture.

Humidifiers contribute to the longevity and lasting good looks of your bamboo parquet. Frequent airing, especially in winter, will also benefit your bamboo parquet. In addition, protect your bamboo parquet from scratches and marks by providing your movable furniture such as chairs, armchairs or table legs with felt pads. This is all the more important because bamboo, despite its hardness and robustness on the surface, is relatively vulnerable to scratches when vacuuming and others.

how to install bamboo flooring review

Bamboo parquet and underfloor heating: what you need to know

Due to its sensitivity to heat and dryness, regular bamboo parquet can only be recommended to a very limited extent, if at all, in combination with underfloor heating. The situation is different with the so-called industrial parquet made of bamboo – according to experts, this is quite compatible with underfloor heating powered by hot water, and also extremely inexpensive compared to the costly strip and prefabricated parquet.

However, not only the type of bamboo parquet determines its compatibility with underfloor heating, but also the way in which the parquet is laid: For those who do not glue the bamboo parquet over the entire surface as recommended but lay it floating – for example, in the case of bamboo laminate – additionally risk that the underfloor heating can not work effectively at all due to the insulating effect.

Guide to install bamboo floor

Preparation

Before installation, the bamboo parquet needs at least 72 hours to acclimatize. Store the panels in the room in question at a minimum temperature of 62,6-68 °F and 50-60% humidity. Open only the front sides of the boxes and let the room air circulate. The substrate must be clean, dry, and sufficiently solid. Any unevenness over 3 mm in height must be corrected beforehand. Cement screed 1.8%, particleboard 7-9%, anhydrite screed 0.3% humidity.

Subfloor

Roll out the impact sound foil in the longitudinal direction of the parquet and cut it. The longitudinal direction of the parquet should always be parallel to the incidence of light. In rooms with cold floors, you need a 0.2 mm thick PE foil between the subfloor and the panels to protect against moisture. Allow the sheets to overlap by about 20 cm and tape the seams. Lay a layer of cork, felt, or PE foam foil as impact sound insulation.

Laying the first row

First, use a saw to remove the longitudinal tongues of the first row of the parquet. It is best to start in the left corner of the room and lay the cut long side towards the wall. The last piece must be cut in most cases. Take into account the distance from the wall! The end piece to the wall should be at least 40 cm long.

Wall distance

The floor “works” and needs space to do so. Therefore, a movement gap of approx. 3-5 mm should be maintained to all walls, pillars, etc. The DIY store offers spacer wedges for this purpose, which secure this distance.

Cutting

Make the cutting easy for yourself. Take measurements from the row that has already been laid. Place a new panel against the cut piece and shorten it. Note the distance to the wall! Now use the shortened panel as the first piece of the next row. This laying in “wild bond” is visually more beautiful. A table saw is best suited for cutting. The cut edges must face the wall when laying. This allows the click system to interlock on the other side of the panel.

Bamboo parquet laying and locking

With click parquet, the panels lock into place with a special latch. Manual clicking is not necessary, simply place the panel very close to the intended position. Now lock the panel (including headers) with a hammer and impact protection. Always tap in lengthwise first, then crosswise. Do not allow any gaps to form when tapping in. Even small tilts will be transferred to the following panels. Even without glue, you will achieve a jointless and secure connection of the parquet pieces.

Last row

Here, too, the panels usually have to be cut to size. With the help of a remnant piece, you determine the distance to the wall. Do not forget the distance to the wall! Then saw the parquet pieces for the last row.

Heating pipe

To visually complete the wall finish, we recommend matching skirting boards with the same decor. To cut the skirting boards to the exact angle, use a miter saw. Use transition strips to conceal the transition from parquet to carpet and expansion joints. The skirting boards are screwed into the floor. This prevents them from slipping.

Door frames

Shorten wooden door frames and place the parquet under them. To do this, create a remnant and saw off the frame with a fine saw along with the parquet piece. For steel door frames, lay the floor with a 5 to 8 mm gap and seal with acrylic sealant.

Skirting boards

To visually complete the wall finish, we recommend matching skirting boards with the same decor. To cut the skirting boards to the exact angle, use a miter saw. Use transition strips to conceal the transition from parquet to carpet and expansion joints. The skirting boards are screwed into the floor. This prevents them from slipping.

Tips on Cutting and Installation of Bamboo Floor – Video

Max Welder

Max Welder

Hi! I'm Max Welder (toolsproper.com). I always wanted to work with my own hands, repair something, do things. Now I combine my knowledge with computers and my own knowledge in the field of mechanics in order to understand which tools I like the most. I hope to convey some knowledge and experience.

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