Can a Tongue and Groove Bamboo Floor Be Floated Over Concrete?

Floating a Bamboo Floor

• To float a bamboo floor, lay enough planks in a straight line to create a row all the way across the floor along one wall. Use the flooring spacers provided with the flooring to keep the proper amount of space between the bamboo planks and the walls. Lay the rest of the rows of bamboo flooring so that the tongues of the planks slip into the grooves of the planks of the row that came before until you cover the entire floor.

Problems With Installation Over Concrete

• Though you can float a bamboo floor directly over a concrete subfloor, as long as that concrete floor has a level surface, you should not install a floating bamboo floor over concrete without some waterproofing. If you do not provide some type of waterproofing over concrete, the bamboo flooring may experience some moisture issues, including molding or swelling. This is due to the fact that concrete floors are not naturally water-resistant and water can seep up from the ground through the concrete.

Covering the Concrete

• At the very least, you should install a waterproof liner on a concrete floor prior to the installation of bamboo flooring planks. A waterproof liner lies flat against the concrete surface and installs with adhesive, so the surface of the floor remains level for installation of the bamboo planks. The waterproof liner prevents the water from passing into the bamboo planks, keeping them from developing possible moisture issues.

Creating Air Space

• The best form of protection from the moisture in a cement floor is to make a secondary subfloor over which to install the bamboo flooring. This floor can be created by laying 3-inch-tall planks all the way across the room at 12-inch intervals and then laying ¾-inch plywood over the planks. Planks can be attached to the concrete floor with concrete screws at least 4 inches in length and plywood can be attached to the planks with wood screws.