The environmentally friendly properties of bamboo flooring make it a favorite among many home buyers. Not only does it naturally resist insects, it also adds a great feature to any room. If you think bamboo is for you, why not take a look at these tips on selecting, setting up and maintaining this durable and eye-pleasing material. Choosing Bamboo Flooring The first thing to consider when buying bamboo flooring is the color. Because it comes in many colors and hues, it's a good idea to consider the space where you're going to set it up. For the best deal consider different suppliers. Looking at what they have to offer not only in price but also in terms of quality will ensure you get exactly what you want for how much you want. Choose what kind of bamboo Flooring you want. There are three separate kinds all with different strengths and features. The solid floor is made from a single stalk of bamboo. The engineered floor is essentially a laminate and the strand floor is made of threads of bamboo woven together to make one flat timber. Another consideration you need to take is the size of the room where the flooring will be installed. If it's a small room, you will want to go with fine-grained bamboo, also known as vertical grain. For bigger rooms, you will be better off with horizontal grain because this provides wider grain for the bamboo flooring. Installing Bamboo Flooring Once the bamboo flooring has arrived, place the planks in the room where you will be using them and let them air for about 2 to 3 days. Acclimatization is important in most natural flooring to make sure they adjust properly to the room's temperature and humidity level. The bamboo can then shrink or swell accordingly, so you will be ready for any warps or gaps later. Make sure the room temperature is maintained during the acclimatization period and that no moisture is present in the room. Before installing bamboo flooring, make sure that you have a sub-floor. This is usually a concrete or wood surface on which you will be placing the bamboo planks. Keep this surface as smooth and as even as possible. An uneven sub-floor causes installation problems later on. Keep the sub-floor dry to prevent any moisture from seeping through the bamboo planks. To further ensure that unwanted moisture becomes a problem in the future, you could take the extra step of including an underlayment with a moisture-resistant material such as vinyl. Note too that if you are going to have radiant heat sub-floors, it is a good idea to implement floating installation as you don't want the bamboo to be directly in contact with the heat. On the other hand if you have a smooth concrete sub-floor, gluing the bamboo boards will work well. If your sub-floor is made of wood, nailing the bamboo down is probably the best option. After you've done all the preparations, decide which wall is going to be your "starting wall". This should be the wall in the room which is the most straight and has the least curvature. Then do a dry run by laying sample pieces of the bamboo flooring along the sub-floors. This will give you a good idea how the flooring will eventually look after you've finished the installation. This is an important step because there will always be subtle variations in color among the planks even if they came in the same batch. Leave about half an inch or a quarter of an inch space out from the wall and mark it with a chalk line. This space is for expansion of the planks and will be covered by the molding. The straightest bamboo planks should be used first because these will become your guide for the rest. Drill pilot holes evenly, these will be for the finishing nails. Face-nail the planks to the sub-floor. Now for the second row, align the planks unevenly from the first. The end of each plank should be at least six inches along from that of the previous one. Drill pilot holes at each end at a forty-five degree angle and then drill spaced every ten inches on the tongue of the plank. Make sure each board fits closely against each other. To do this you need to tap it, but use a piece of tapping wood. If you hit the bamboo directly you may harm it. Follow the same steps when installing the next planks, being careful to tap them into place to keep them tight against the previous row. Use a pry bar and a block to tap the final row before installing the baseboard molding. How to Maintain Bamboo Flooring Like any other wooden floor they need to be cleaned regularly. Get rid of grit and dirt as this may scratch the wooden surface. Use a soft broom or mop. A vacuum cleaner with soft brush head is also a great way to clean in the grooves. Clean up spills immediately. If you notice wear spots, apply a paste wax to keep a beautiful finish.
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The environmentally friendly properties of bamboo flooring make it a favorite among many home buyers. Not only does it naturally resist insects, it also adds a great feature to any room. If you think bamboo is for you, why not take a look at these tips on selecting, setting up and maintaining this durable and eye-pleasing material.
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