I’ve got a bamboo floor going down over a concrete slab. The manufacturer says it’s ok to glue it directly to the slab but since it’s going to be a restaurant I rather be safe than sorry. A few months ago I think it was Greg ???? who posted pix and details on how to apply ply over concrete. Anyone else who can help is welcome. If memory serves, he spread some sort of mastic, apllied vapor barrier, and then attached the ply with either screws or nails. I remember the driver he had was wrapped up and duct taped for some reason. I’ve done plenty of hardwood, and last month installed the same bamboo floor in a residence(the architect for the restaurant), this stuff is great. I also get to trim and construct the bar with it and glass block, it’s going to be a Cuban place. Any help would be great otherwise on the slab it goes. Thanks.
Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products
Angel Guard Deck Demon
Fall Protection
Large-Capacity Lightweight Miter Saw
Anchor Bolt Marker
Leather Tool Rig
Replies
Did a little archive work and it was Greg Brown who posted the pix of job. The only problem is that I can't seem to get back to the job he did. I keeping at this.
Just for what it's worth, I'm doing bamboo glued to concrete with RFH, and it's been working great. It's the only thing my hardwood flooring supplier will recommend as a gluedown with RFH. That's not saying anything at all against using the 2 half-inch layers of ply that Greg used (wasn't his floor oak?). I didn't want to lose the extra inch or have the extra insulative value of the subfloor for the RFH or the cost of that much extra ply or the labor, and I couldn't find any reasons it wouldn't work as a direct application.
Maybe I'm iggnorant but what is RFH? Also, did you glue the first row down and then come back the next day ? Thanks for the reply.
Edited 11/11/2002 10:01:02 PM ET by jack straw
Sorry, radiant floor heat. The first rows were a bit of a pain, but mostly because I'm going for a no-trim, no-baseboard look and am tucking them under the drywall. I'd struggle to keep each new board from separating prior boards. If I weren't worried about baseboard, I'd use wedges or spacers to hold the right offset from the wall--then I could push the boards together better. It took about three rows before I could be certain I had then tight and that they wouldn't shift on me. With just one row the first day, I'd worry that I didn't have it perfectly straight, and that would just magnify itself on successive rows.
In one room I had to start in the middle, and so I edge glued two rows the day before to make a 50' x 6" board that I glued to the floor as the starter. It had enough heft to not move as I added more boards.
Still, I just did this for myself and, even though I was thrilled with the results, I won't ever be confused with someone like Greg, or Ken Fisher, who install floors every day. So take any comments with a grain of salt.
I thought his method was to trowel on an asphaltum product (cold tar?) on the slab, then a layer of poly was set in the cold tar. Then, another layer of cold tar was troweled on the poly, then it was either another layer of poly, or the first layer of ply was set right on the second layer of cold tar. Second layer of ply set on the first ply layer with seams staggered, then both layers screwed together. Flooring on ply as required.