Selecting Materials

• Bamboo floors are made using two construction techniques that produce very different finishes. Regular bamboo flooring is made from long strips of bamboo that are glued onto a wooden base. This creates a striped look that emphasizes the natural characteristics of the plant. Strand woven bamboo is made from shredded plants mixed with resin to form a solid block of lumber. Once the lumber is sliced, the floorboards have a darker, grainy surface much like regular wood.
  
  Different products are designed to be installed using different techniques. For most DIY installers, a floating system will be the easiest to work with. Only choose a nailed-down or glued-down floor if you have experience with this work, and your subfloor is in excellent condition.
  
  

Preparing the Floor

• As with other wood floors, bamboo should be installed over a dry and level floor surface. With a wood subfloor, start by removing stray nails or staples and securing any loose floorboards. If your subfloor is concrete, you'll need to grind away bumps and ridges and fill low spots with a patching compound.
  
  Cover the entire subfloor with a moisture barrier that is approved for use with your bamboo product. Lay the paper out in rows so seams overlap by several inches, keeping the logo side of the paper face-up. Tape the seams together, but do not fasten this material to the subfloor.
  
  

Installing Bamboo Floors

• If your bamboo flooring doesn't have an integral foam underlayment, you'll need to install one separately. Roll this material out so seams butt together but don't overlap. This material should not be nailed or glued to the subfloor. Skip this step if your floor already has padding built in.
  
  Lay your flooring planks perpendicular to the floor joists for extra stability. Add spacers around the base of the walls to leave a 1/4" expansion joint. This will allow the flooring to expand and contract along with changes in temperature. Connect each row to the adjacent one using the tongue-and-groove or click connectors at the edge of each board. Cut boards as needed using a circular saw, and stagger the joints along each row to keep the floor strong and stable.