Bamboo Flooring can be installed on concrete slabs, tiles, existing timber floors, plywood or particle board as long as the floor is structurally sound, clean, level and dry. Bamboo Flooring is recommended for internal use only, and should not be installed in wet areas like bathrooms and laundries. The Maganda™ Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring incorporates a glueless and nailless click system and it is designed to be floating floor only and to be floated on a timber underlay. Anchoring the bamboo flooring to the substrate or having furniture anchored to the bamboo flooring will void warranty.
Prior to Installation
Important: Please inspect all flooring materials carefully before installation.
Managua™ Strand Woven Bamboo Flooring comes Pre-finished and should only be installed in the final stages of the construction of the house or renovation of the living spaces. All works involving water or moisture should be completed prior to installation (cement work, plastering, painting, plumbing, and tiling etc) to avoid damage to the surface finish of the Bamboo Flooring.
The building should be roofed and enclosed with the temperature and humidity as close as possible to in-service conditions including the use of air conditioning. Flooring should be delivered at least 2-3 days prior to installation and the boxes opened to allow the Bamboo Floor to adjust to normal room temperature and humidity. Avoid installing Bamboo Floor in very damp or humid conditions. Bamboo floor should be installed in room temperature (15 to 28 degrees Celcius, humidity levels 40-70%) ,
Note: We make no warranty or guarantee of the quality of the chosen installer’s work. We disclaim all liability for any errors or improprieties in the installation of its product by an installer.
Preparation Work for Concrete Slab Substrates
Prior to installation it is necessary to ensure that the concrete is sufficiently level to accept the system.
Where the slab is greater than ± 3 mm out of level over any 1500 mm length, a concrete topping (leveling compound), grinding or packing should be used. Slabs on ground should be constructed with a continuous under slab vapour barrier (e.g. 0.2 mm thick polyethylene). Bamboo floors should not be installed until the concrete slab has a moisture content less than 5½% (generally achieved after slabs have cured for approximately 4-6months). In old slabs, moisture contents should be below this level and if not, care should be exercised. Methods available to test the moisture content of concrete include resistance meters, capacitance meters and hygrometers.
Floating Installation
If required, remove any skirting, quarter round or doorway thresholds that may be in place. Doorway architraves should be undercut to allow the flooring to fit neatly when installed. This is best done using a hand saw. A piece of underlay and flooring placed against the architrave will act as a guide for height. Unroll the underlay so that all ends and sides fit neatly against the wall. Seams between lengths should also butt together so that no overlap occurs. Tape all ends, sides and seams with waterproof tape to ensure the water vapour barrier properties of the underlay are maintained. The underlay should be laid parallel to the intended direction of the flooring.
Start planks square with the room and parallel to the longest dimension but leaving 12-15mm expansion space from all sides of the wall for every 8m span. Start with the groove facing towards you. With the tongue facing the wall, trim off the tongue on the long side.When starting the second row, we suggest the first board be a minimum of 600mm shorter than the original board to achieve a brick or random pattern. The last row will probably need to be cut to the required width. A small crow bar can be used to gain leverage against the wall when trying to ease the last of the boards together. Remember to seal any cut edges of the Bamboo Flooring.
Important: Only the click system floor board may be floated. Moisture protection is required over any subfloor when floating the floor.
Flooring is usually laid square with the space and parallel to its longest dimension. Place a 12mm spacer against the starting wall or skirting board. Using a 5mm notched trowel spread the adhesive evenly over the prepared surface. Only spread enough glue for 3 or 4 board widths at a time. From the starting wall, place the groove first and lay each board carefully. Place each tongue firmly into the corresponding groove of the next board. Bamboo flooring is laid in a brick pattern. Check every 4-5 boards to ensure that you are square to the starting wall. It is a good idea to mark a line on your underlay or sub-floor to line up the joins. Where you are not nailing boards and are direct sticking to sub floor make sure the floor is adequately weighted. Continue this process until the floor is complete. Remember to leave a 12mm gap at each wall surface or edge over an 8m span. Any greater spans will require an expansion strip to be placed in the middle of the floor.
Important Note for Staircase Installations
IMPORTANT Do not walk on floor for at least 24 hours to allow adhesive to set. Important: Do not allow glue to penetrate through the tongue in/on to the surface. If this occurs, then wipe off immediately with a turps or methylated spirits covered rag. Always test turps, methylated spirits or other cleaning agents on a test piece before on your floor. Typical Glue usage is sika flex T55J and Sika Primer MB.
