Bamboo Over Radiant

ophnurse

I am doing a 500 sq ft addition to my home and we are considering radiant heat but my wife also wants bamboo flooring. Are these a good combination?

My concerns are humidity in the summer and drying in the winter (we live in NE Oklahoma) causing gaps between boards. I was planning on installing unfinished flooring and having it finished. Does anyone have experience (good or bad) so that we can make a better informed decision?


Thanks

Floorwizard

Make sure you keep the humidity levels around 40% wherever you install the Bamboo.
If you are stuck being at the mercy of Oklahoma humidity, you will have one heck of a dry floor in the winter.

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ophnurse

Thanks for the tip!!

Floordude

Install it as a floating installation. DO NOT FASTEN or GLUE the bamboo down.

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ophnurse

I have seen laminate installed as a floating floor, but how do you install unfinished as a floating floor? Any websites that I can go to to show me?

Thanks

Floorwizard

If it has a click locking mechanism then float it and do the same to it you would if it was a solid.
If it's tounge and groove, then check with manufacturer on install.

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"in 20 years you will regret more what you did not do than what you did"

Floordude

I have yet to see, or know of a source for unfinished bamboo. All I have been able to find, is prefinished bamboo.

If there is no glueless lock, but regular T&G, you use a PVA-II adhesive in the groove, and use strap clamps to compress the flooring joints during the installation.

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downwithfloors

Just found these guys 6 months ago. Unfinished, perfectly milled carbonized bamboo and all the accessories. Not 1 bad board in the 1000+ square feet I've ordered and installed. I think they ship to the US, or have a satellite office there. It stains beautifully too...

http://www.mmgtrading.com/index.php

Teetorbilt

Back to quality of product and installation. Flor's the best but we rarely see 40% humidity here, 80% is average. 60-68% for snowbirds with humidistats. I believe that it's all relative as long as there are not huge swings such as 40-90% over extended periods. Our lows CAN get to 36% but it's only for a day or two.

The few kitchens that I've done were top product T&G that were assembled as floating with polyurethane glue and special clamping systems. The HO's were fully aware that this was new tech and expensive (cleanup is a beech) but I've never had a complaint. I've used the technique with other hardwoods with the same results.

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floorinstall

read the manufactures instructions! They come in every box. If you do not and there is a problem you own the floor and the problems