If you live in Florida, our qualified team of certified installers (a.k.a. Panda Bamboo Flooring Luthiers) is available to help you attain the beautiful finish of your brand new Panda Bamboo floor.
Of course, there are some installation guides to follow if you want to “DIY”. No biggie, just a few simple but important steps to get the most out of your Panda Bamboo Floor.
First consider hiring an experienced and competent installer! But if you still want to go it alone, it is great to know that one of the reasons that homeowners make the decision to install our Panda Bamboo Floors is to save money. While it doesn’t differ much when compared to traditional wood floor installations, it is half the cost when you DIY and it could be a fun home project for a weekend.
Remember: Panda Limited Inc. is not responsible for and does not warranty the quality of the installer’s work or the installation of your Panda Bamboo Flooring, unless provided by us. We assume no liability arising from improper installation, inappropriate installation location or improper care and maintenance of the Panda Bamboo Flooring.
Ok, here we go…
1. Decide which installation you will be doing: Glued or Nailed down? We really do not recommend doing your own Floating Installation, so instructions for this last one are not included in this article.
2. Consider the following minimum requirements:
- A building that is completely enclosed.
- If there is a basement, it must be dry.
- Installation of the bamboo flooring should be the final step in the decorating procedure.
- Interior conditions must match or be near the average conditions for the geographical area around your building.
- Concrete, masonry, plastering, drywall, and other work that could be wet should be completly dry.
- Surface drainage that direct water away from the building.
- Carefully unpack the flooring 3-5 days before installation in the area where it is to be installed. Distribute the flooring in such a way that it is allowed to adjust to normal room humidity and temperature. Installation should not be made in damp or cold conditions.
- Separate bathroom, kitchen and balcony from the flooring area to avoid water dampening.
- Not direct exposing to extreme humidity or moisture.
- Effective ventilation during warm months (when applicable).
- Although the color deviation is not so obvious in bamboo floors as in wooden floors, unpacking 4-5 cartons and putting the boards on the installation frame to distinguish and place those boards in color deviation in different areas randomly is recommended.
- Do not use water-soluble glue in installation to avoid dampness and distortion.
- Texturing and painting coats must be completed and dry.
- Verify that the surface (ground) is flat and dry before installation.
- Remember your common sense and…safety first..!
3. Glued Down:
In this method, glue is used to attach the Panda Bamboo Floor to a subfloor.
Installing the Bamboo Floor with this technique is like installing a flooring tile. It can be used for installation on both concrete subfloors and on plywood.
Panda Bamboo Flooring can be glued down using a moisture resistant flooring adhesive (especially urethane type). Read adhesive instructions carefully for proper trowel size and adhesive set time.
Water based adhesives should not be used for this purpose. Also, never use the “wet lay” or “loose lay” method of installing.
Start with the outside wall and spread as much adhesive as can be covered by the flooring in 1 hour.
After applying the adhesive to the subfloor with a trowel, the bamboo flooring planks should be immediately placed with groove facing the wall.
Allow for adequate cross ventilation during the procedure.
Make sure the floor is still aligned and be careful not to let installed floor move on the wet adhesive. Use damp cloth to immediately remove any adhesive that gets on flooring surface.
Walk on the flooring foot-by-foot within 30 minutes of laying the floor to ensure a solid bond with the adhesive.
Flooring planks on the boundary line of room may require weight for this bond.
4. Nailed down or Secret Nailing:
In this technique, the bamboo floor is nailed down to a wood subfloor in a hidden way.
It is the traditional way of Panda Bamboo floor installation using nails or staples.
All solid flooring and many engineered floors can be installed this way.
The floor joists (floor support beams) must be marked to guide installation procedure.
Also, the location of floor joists should be marked on the felt paper with chalk lines.
These markings will identify where nails and staples should be driven to make a solid connection with the subfloor.
The nails or staples are rammed at an angle through the tongue and are hidden by the next piece of flooring.
This is why it is called blind or secret nailing.
Nail each board every 8” and within 2” of each end.
Once starter rows are placed, the next planks should be nailed directly above the tongue at a 45o angle.
A face nail might be needed in doorways or tight areas where the nailer can’t fit.
The last two rows will also have to be face nailed in the same manner.
A good eye should be kept on nail / staple penetration.
A last comment after finishing the installation of your new Panda Bamboo Flooring:
Remove expansion spacers and reinstall base and/or quarter round moldings to cover the expansion space, do not allow foot traffic or heavy furniture on floor for 24 hours (if glue-down) and finally must mop or vacuum your floor to remove any dirt.
Ok, now I guess that you have at least a clue about installing your new Panda Bamboo Floor, but please check out our recent installation section where you will find real life installations done by ourselves and our customers too. A hands on approach usually works better and a picture is worth a thousand words.
Still having doubts? Contact us!