You will need to carry out some checks on the surrounding area, the screed, and the wood being laid before you are in a position to lay the actual parquet. The installation period is just the last step of a coherent laying process which is geared towards the final quality of the result.
laying a bamboo parquet should be the final task which requires completion in the home, and should follow any tasks which involve water as part of the process; for instance, the walls should be painted prior to laying in order to prevent moisture from spreading into the surroundings or to prevent the newly laid parquet from staining. The fixtures must already be present and functioning. In specific terms, if the house has just been built and the substrate on which the material is being laid has just been installed, then it is best to wait for any residual moisture inside the slab to reach the levels required. If the material is not installed quickly, it must be stored away from bad weather, in a covered and dry place.
for cuts and waste of material during installation, order 7% to 10% more parquet than the walkable surface in case of straight installation or 12% more for diagonal installation.
The screed or under-floor must:
– be structurally solid and rigid
– be entirely clean at the time of laying
– compacted on the surface and with a uniform thickness
– include a steam barrier to prevent any moisture from rising both from underneath and from the perimeter walls
– be flat and not include any slopes in excess of 4 mm in the horizontal direction within a radius of 3 metres
– be dry and arid (check moisture levels using a carbide hygrometer)
The correct humidity levels for each type of substrate can be found below:
Standard screed | Radiant screed | |
Cement | 1.8% | 1.5% |
Anhydrite | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Wood (only for floating laying) | 7-12% | / |
Water-repellent chipboard | 6-9% | / |
– also check that the perimeter walls have the right humidity level (not in excess of 2%) and there is no infiltration from the walls which could transmit to the parquet, even if the screed happens to be healthy and dry;
– should you be using a floor underneath which the parquet is to be bonded, then the flooring should not have a moisture content of above 12%, and should not be any higher or lower than 3% of the parquet which is set to be installed;
– should the bamboo flooring be laid in surroundings where excess heat sources (non-insulated tubes, excessively hot environments) can be found, then insert a special film which restricts any excess heat which may overpower the flooring;
– although bamboo flooring is able to withstand water and moisture more efficiently (so much so that it is often laid in the bathroom), please avoid installing it in humid or flooded surroundings; it is still a parquet after all. It must be installed in surroundings which are not subject to high humidity levels and high temperatures;
– it is advisable to send the material to the assembly site a good while prior to installation, simply open the bamboo cartons and cut any protective film (in horizontal packaging) to allow the wood to acclimatise to the surrounding humidity and temperature of the site; it is beneficial to allow the flooring to adapt slightly to the surroundings when it is still inside the cartons, rather than when it has already been put on the ground. the type of acclimatisation period changes depending on which parquet you purchase, classic, strand woven, or nature: classic bamboo can adapt to the surroundings over a period from three to seven days; instead, strand woven bamboo is more dense so it takes more time to absorb or release its moisture levels, which could even run into a few weeks. Nature bamboo behaves more or less the same as classic bamboo, namely it takes three to seven days. Even if the bamboo boards already have an optimal humidity content, it is still necessary to acclimatise them before installation, to avoid those annoying adjustments that may be necessary after installation. Any environmental values of the premises where the bamboo is being laid will therefore be understood to range from between 40% and 60% humidity and between 15° and 26° C in temperature; bamboo parquet is a natural product and slight differences in color between one plank and another are normal;
– check the material to make sure it is intact and free from any defects prior to installing the slats you have ordered. It is not possible to receive any complaints regarding products which have already been laid as an item.
– once the installation is finished, if it is essential to cover the floor so as not to ruin it following work that still needs to be carried out, do not cover it with plastics or materials that do not allow the floor to breathe; the air must circulate, any residual humidity must not remain trapped under the covering, otherwise the floor may deform. Cover it for as little time as possible.