Installation Guide

5
September 6, 2018
Coordinating Transition Moldings
Always have all necessary transition moldings on site prior to beginning installation. Make sure all transitions and
moldings have been coordinated with planks that have similar color and graining. Set them aside for use when a
transitioning is necessary. The manufacturer cannot be held liable for color variations that may exist between
flooring and coordinating trim accessories under any circumstances.
We require any installation of this floor that is installed in the floating method to use a T-Molding once the
installation has gone more than 26 feet in a single direction. Installations of the flooring beyond this distance must
use a T-Molding to release stress from the floor and allow the floating installation to properly expand and contract.
T-moldings are also required in narrow flooring areas 36” or less in width; floor areas interrupted by wall sections
extending out of the wall, including cabinets; floor areas which are not rectangular; wall openings-with or without
a door; L shaped rooms or otherwise not rectangular rooms will require T-moldings to split into rectangular
sections. Failure to use appropriate T-moldings will void warranty coverage.
Adhesive
The manufacturer recommends the use of a low-VOC, premium, water-free flooring adhesive specifically
recommended by the adhesive manufacturer for use with bamboo flooring. Please refer to adhesive
manufacturer’s instructions for appropriate trowel size and installation tips.
PVAC Adhesive is used for floating installation on Tongue & Groove Flooring only.
Underlayment
Underlayment should be used in any floating installation and be no more than 3mm in thickness. We approve the
use of 2-in-1 underlayment’s with attached poly-backings for moisture protection. Foam, Cork, Rubber, EVA and
similar underlayments are acceptable. Please contact our technical department for specific product compatibility.
Floor Protection During Construction
Always protect the surface of the installed flooring during construction. Cover the floor with quality rosin paper or
other paper that will allow the floor to breathe and secure it to the baseboards; never tape directly to bamboo. Do
not use plastic or polyethylene sheeting to cover the floor since they will trap moisture that will damage the
flooring. The flooring must be cleaned and completely free of any and all debris to minimize damage.
If you have any questions regarding installation of flooring not addressed in our guidelines, always refer to the
most recent NWFA installation guidelines.
Radiant Heat Installations (Click-lock and Engineered Flooring ONLY)
The following guidelines must be followed to maintain warranty coverage. Failure to follow ALL guidelines will
result in termination of warranty coverage.
• Concrete must be allowed to properly cure and dry a minimum of 4 weeks prior to operation of radiant heat
system.
• Over concrete, moisture vapor emission rate for concrete subfloors must not exceed 3 pounds per 1000 sf per
24 hours using Calcium Chloride test ASTM 1869, or 75% RH using ASTM 2170 k and must be documented for
warranty coverage.
• Wood subfloors must not exceed 12% moisture content and be within 2% moisture content as that of the
bamboo flooring.
• Subfloor must be flat to 3/16” over a 10’ radius or 1/8” over a 6’ radius.
• T-moldings must be used to separate heating zones.