Is bamboo flooring easy to install on concrete subfloor?

Question

Also, I have heard it referred to as a laminate, even though the material I'm looking at is bamboo through-and-through. What gives?

Answer 1

My husband and I just put bamboo flooring in on concrete last year. It's pretty easy to install. You need to use mastic to glue it down. We got the mastic from the flooring supply place...
www.lumberliquidators.com.

NOTE: The concrete needs to be prepped properly. You need to sand it smooth (we rented an industrial sander from Home Depot), fill in any uneven spots and make sure the floor is level. You also need to seal the concrete. I don't remember the specific name of the sealant but we also got it from Lumber Liquidators.

IMPORTANT: the sealant is VERY flammable. We had to kill all pilot lights (fireplace, heater, stove) to use it. It will also light if temperature are about 80 degrees. Use with great caution!!!

Love the bamboo. Only complaint is that it is soft wand dings when we drop stuff. Texture is great for hiding most scratches. We have two dogs and scratches don't show.

Last thing, bamboo is more like wood than grass. My husband used some leftover flooring and made a desk lamp, dog food/water riser, shelf and some other stuff (he's pretty handy) so NO, bamboo is not a laminate.

Answer 2

You have one other option to consider. You can put down like a glue together laminate. home depot has a book called flooring 1-2-3. this will show you how to do it. Basically it would be a glue together floating floor and would be easier to do than a glue down. just make sure you get a 2 in 1 or 3 in 1 laminate underlayment/pad as you are going over concrete. Have fun!

P.S. It is technically an engineered hardwood. Some people confuse it with laminate since most engineered hardwoods are a plywood construction. Since it is plywood it is laminated together, but laminate is a man-made and particle construction. It is like people who call sheet vinyl linoleum, not the same thing.

Answer 3

Wow, great answer by Mag. Do what she said, but make sure the sub floor is right. It will solve problems down the line. Good luck