Bamboo Flooring Installation

INSTALLATION GUIDE GENERAL NOTES

Inspect all materials carefully before installation. Warranties do not cover materials with visible defects once they are installed. It is the responsibility of the installer/owner to determine if the sub floor and conditions onsite are environmentally and structurally acceptable for wood flooring installation. We will decline any responsibility for wood floor failure resulting from or connected with sub floor, subsurface, jobsite damage or deficiencies after hardwood flooring has been installed.

Wood is hydroscopic. It will absorb and expel moisture based on its environment. With our construction, these changes are greatly reduced. However temperature and humidity must be brought to normal usage levels at least 96 hours before installation and maintained at those levels after installation.

PREPARATION

Remove paint, wax oil, plaster, and other foreign materials, as well as surface irregularities. Heavy grit open coat paper may need to be used to grind a concrete floor. This will loosen any dirt, loose concrete or contaminates. Sweep or vacuum thoroughly. All previously or existing glue or adhesives must be removed before installing new hardwood flooring. All sub floors and sub floor systems must be structurally sound and must be installed following their manufacturer's recommendations. Our warranty does not cover any problems caused by inadequate substructures or improper installation of said substructures.

MAKE SURE ALL WORK AREAS ARE DRY

Interior walls should be dry enough to be painted and a normal room temperature should be attained with a relative humidity of 35-48%, should be provided before any installation is begun. If plywood is used as an overlay over an existing sub floor, the thickness of the overlay material much be such as to yield a total ¾ sub floor thickness. New wood type sub floors should also be checked for moisture using a moisture meter. In general, wood or plywood sub floors should not exceed 12% moisture content or 4% moisture content difference between wood flooring and sub floor.

SUB FLOOR PREPARATION

Evaluate the job site. Always check the job site for satisfactory conditions. The sub floor must be clean, dry, firm and flat. Sub floor irregularities and undulation may cause any wood flooring installation to develop hollow spots between the flooring and the sub floor. These hollow spots are not the result of any wood flooring manufacturing defect and are not covered by this warranty. As part of your sub floor preparation remove any existing base, or doorway thresholds. These items can be replaced after installation, but should be replaced in such a way as to allow room for expansion around the perimeter of the room. All door casings should be notched out or undercut to allow for expansion and to avoid difficult scribe cuts. This is easily done by placing a piece of the bamboo product on the sub floor as a height guide for your handsaw of jamb saw. When you are ready to begin, open a few cartons and inspect each plank for quality.

PROCEDURES

Nail Down

Because the humidity of the room can vary, due to differences between the seasons for example, the floor must be able to expand in all directions. The floor must be able to expand or contract on ALL sides. To facilitate this, an expansion gap is provided at all walls of 10mm A gap must also be provided around pipes or at thresholds. Take account of the fact that the floor may move in one direction. Where possible, provide expansion gaps, for example, under doors. The mouldings are not fixed to the real wood floor but to the base floor or the wall covers these gaps. Choose a wall to start on. Place expansion shims against the entire perimeter of the room. Lay the first with the groove against wall. Nail or staple tongue in the nail pocket of the first row. Nailing pattern should be every 6 or closer. You may want to face nail the first row close to the wall so the base moulding will cover when finished. After the first row is secure, engage the planks, one at a time to start the second row. Nail/staple each plank in the tongue nail pocket as you go to secure into position. Proceed by sliding each individual board into place making sure both the tongue and groove are tight, along with the butt joints. To ensure a random pattern, make sure butt joints are at least 6 from the butt joint of the prior row. Proceed with this procedure until you have come to the final row to complete the room. When you have reached the final row, you will need to measure the width of the final planks. You may need to rip the planks to match the width of the space remaining. Make sure the expansion shims are in place and take the shim width into consideration when ripping the final row. The tongue for the final row will need to be removed for a clean fit. Slide the planks groove into the tongue and use a pry bar to snug the last row of planks with the completed second to last row. You again will need to face nail close to the wall to secure. Make sure you nail close enough to the wall so that the base moulding will cover nails.

Floating Installation

Natura Bamboo can be installed as a floating floor:

1. Check that the sub-floor is sufficiently level with a long board. Moisture protection is required over any solid sub floor sometimes called DPM (damp proof membrane), lay out the Sheet DPM then the Tuplex or Cushion Wood underlay.
2. Start laying in a left-hand corner with wedges between the boards and the wall. The tongues must face out into the room! Check with a line that the row is straight.
3. Use the rest of the end board of the first row as the first board in the next row. Leave at least 50cm between the end joints. Glue fully the top of the groove on the long and short sides with a water proof UPVA Adhesive. Always use strapping to hold boards together while adhesive cures (usually 3 rows at a time ).
4. Knock the boards together straight away with a hammer and knocking block. For an end board, pull together the end joints with a jemmy and wedge in place.
5. Install plinths and skirting boards.

FINAL INSPECTION

After the floor has been cleaned, inspect the floor for nicks, scratches, gaps, or planks that may have moved during installation, as well as any other imperfections that need attention. Touch up nicks and scratches with touch-up products.

Always call 0871 250 1066 to discuss any items not covered above, no claims can be made if any of the above procedures are not carried out fully.