Bamboo flooring becomes more and more popular every year – it’s time to learn how to install bamboo flooring with your own hands in a proper way.
Bamboo flooring is luxury coating with an amazing range of high quality characteristics which is used in the interiors of both homes and offices. An additional “plus” of the fashionable bamboo is simple and fast installation based on simple technology. But, the performance of work is required to explore some nuances of laying. Let’s talk on how to install bamboo flooring with your own hands correctly and the methods of laying.
Bamboo coating is a natural material with the properties familiar to ones of hardwood – it’s fashion trend in the housing arrangement.
The main advantages of the coating:
- the extraordinary strength,
- non-toxicity,
- durability,
- natural resistance to moisture,
- abrasion resistance,
- high thermal and acoustic insulation characteristics,
- anti-static properties.
In the design of living spaces bamboo flooring is not only stylish and beautiful solution, but also a coating which provides a favorable atmosphere of accommodation and absorbs negative energy.
Types of bamboo flooring
Multilayer design features choice among 2-to-5-layered bamboo types. Softwood and protective lacquer coating is a universal solution for finishing the home interiors. With a wide selection of species, the covering can implement any homeowner’s ideas and emphasize the unique style of interior design. Classifications of bamboo flooring are performed on several aspects.
Classification by structure:
- horizontal bamboo coating consists of strips glued together;
- vertical bamboo coating is made of bamboo strips laid on its side possessing the original appearance.
Classification by color:
- natural (golden straw with dark transverse stripes);
- coffee (carbonization processing production method).
Classification by varnish:
- matte,
- glossy.
Classification by type of parquet blocks:
- piece bamboo flooring – it is characterized by large size and horizontal or vertical three-layer structure;
- parquet-like bamboo flooring – any board consists of 1-5 layers and has horizontal structure;
- mosaic bamboo flooring – this coating is in the form of modules and has polygonal or round shape.
IT’S IMPORTANT! Bamboo flooring is a proven way to create a unique interior – because of its special texture of yellow-white, the material can not be compared with any species of wood. The advantage of bamboo flooring of any kind – the ability to give a coating ANY (!) desired shade. The best option while choosing the product – buy bamboo flooring by Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturers, as the performance of the coating from Vietnam is much lower. They provide 100% safety for the health – this materials “was born” in the places with impeccable ecology – the mountain areas of China.
Bamboo flooring installation
The first question to appear before you start laying bamboo flooring: floating or glue method? The first thing you need to know if you plan to perform bamboo flooring installation with your own hands – the technology of installation of the “basis”, which must be complied – this is the key to beautiful look of the future coating. The main thing is proven techniques, but not the tricks that only experienced craftsmen know. The glue method performed while installing bamboo flooring creates a feeling of solidity and reliability of the design. The main and only disadvantage of the method is the need to perform a number of works to ensure good adhesion of the glue and the flatness of the surface.
Installing floating bamboo flooring is just free putting of the coating on foam substrate (it’s good for click lock models). The mounting technology is quite simple and allows you to replace the flooring quickly if necessary. To ensure the integrity of the floor, it is recommended to widen the wedges with strips near the walls.
In practice, the glue method is used more often – it’s a simple and reliable option way of flooring laying.
Talking about the underlayment – better lay it on plywood. This method is more reliable compared with laying on wood or on concrete (the last one may lead to extra moisture, as well).
The tools needed:
- plywood,
- arquet glue,
- tape measure,
- a spatula,
- a level,
- a drill,
- a jigsaw,
- sandpaper,
- screws,
- nails,
- parquet hammer.
Preparing of the coating is performed in the form of leaving the coating in the room for two days. Preparing the base is performing screed (to create a flat surface with the maximum permissible deviation of about 2 mm) and priming.
IT’S IMPORTANT! During the installation process it’s very important to eliminate errors during the packing of the strips in order not to have serious problems with going off pieces!
Plywood is cut into 4 pieces, apply glue to the base, then use screws to fix the pieces. Start from the walls, opposite the entrance door. Connect the straps with the help of a parquet hammer. It is recommended to fix the straps at an angle of 45 ° with nails, hammering the pieces. The adjacent boards need to be installed in the joints with an offset of 0.5 m a wall, leaving gaps of about 4-6 inches. At the end of the work it is recommended to make a technological break (5 days), then to set the plinth.
A trick from the pros: at this stage of works, it is recommended to use guile of experienced craftsmen – sanding the plywood to improve adhesion and make a technological break for 2-3 days.
We hope you got all the necessary information on how to lay bamboo flooring with your own hands. Now your exotic bamboo parquet is ready for use!
