Articles | Bamboo Floor Install

There are many different types of flooring available in today's market. Bamboo floors are warm and sophisticated and they add character to any room. Bamboo floors are also very eco-friendly and make for a great conversation starter. If you want to work on floor install on your own, there are several things you will want to know.

Before you begin a bamboo floor install, you will want to gather the following tools and materials: protective glasses, measuring tape, pencil, level, rubber mallet, tapping block, circular saw, underlay pad, nails, pneumatic nail gun for flooring, quarter-round show molding, and, of course, the bamboo flooring itself.

Prior to buying the materials, it is a good idea to look over the floor install process so you can insure that you are able to complete the task on your own. If it seems too time consuming or above your abilities, it is better to hire a floor install company upfront. If a company has to come in later and finish or fix the job, you will likely be charged more.

The first thing you will need to do is take careful measurements of the room in which the bamboo floor install will take place. You can then order or purchase the bamboo flooring that you need to complete the project. Make sure you order at least 10% more flooring than you need. You will likely make a mistake or two and you may have to waste a little bit of the flooring due to cuts you will make during the process.

Before you lay any flooring down, you will have to put in an underlay pad. Make sure you do not overlap any of the pads because that will create an uneven floor. Once the underlay pad is properly installed, put in your protective eyewear to work with the bamboo flooring.

As you lay boards against each other, use the rubber tapping block and mallet to secure the boards together. You will then nail the boards into place with the pneumatic nailer. Attach the boards with the nailer at an angle so none of the nail holes will show on the surface of the floor.

Once the bamboo floor install is complete, you can reinstall the molding you had around your baseboards. If the molding is old, like your old floors, this would also be a good time to update that material since you have to remove it anyways.

Check a few stores for bamboo floor prices. Prices can vary from store to store and there are always special deals that you could catch during certain times of the year. You might even want to consider ordering bamboo flooring online. Just keep in mind that you will likely have to pay shipping costs with online orders.