09-23-2016, 10:07 PM
I have installed several bamboo floors, one of them being the twisted strand type which is what I believe you are considering.
Moisture is the biggest enemy of bamboo flooring. From my understanding the twisted strand flooring has a higher percentage of resin in it. That should mean it will be more resistant to moisture problems.
I will second the advice to glue it down. My choice is Bostick's Best, and I would give some thought to the their MVP moisture barrier too, although if you are over a finished basement that may be unnecessary overkill. Keep a can of mineral spirits and a roll of paper towels handy so you can clean up any glue smudges sooner rather than later. Also figure whatever jeans/kneepads you wear are going to end up with permanent glue inclusions.
I wouldn't fret much over the saw blade issue. The vast majority of your cuts should be at the ends where they will be covered by the baseboards. You don't need a perfect cut there. A Freud Diablo blade from the borg should be more than adequate to the task. Just don't plan on using it to cut joinery when you are done. The only cuts that are likely to matter are going to be at doorjambs, and there really should not be a whole lot of exposed, cut ends showing there, and odds are most of those are going to need to be cut with a jigsaw. Bosch makes blades for cutting laminate flooring and those are probably your best bet for that situation.
I don't have a problem working with the material, but I do warn folks about the moisture issues. Out here folks want it in their beach houses and it is not a wise choice for that scenario. As long as you can keep moisture levels fairly consistent you should be fine.
Moisture is the biggest enemy of bamboo flooring. From my understanding the twisted strand flooring has a higher percentage of resin in it. That should mean it will be more resistant to moisture problems.
I will second the advice to glue it down. My choice is Bostick's Best, and I would give some thought to the their MVP moisture barrier too, although if you are over a finished basement that may be unnecessary overkill. Keep a can of mineral spirits and a roll of paper towels handy so you can clean up any glue smudges sooner rather than later. Also figure whatever jeans/kneepads you wear are going to end up with permanent glue inclusions.
I wouldn't fret much over the saw blade issue. The vast majority of your cuts should be at the ends where they will be covered by the baseboards. You don't need a perfect cut there. A Freud Diablo blade from the borg should be more than adequate to the task. Just don't plan on using it to cut joinery when you are done. The only cuts that are likely to matter are going to be at doorjambs, and there really should not be a whole lot of exposed, cut ends showing there, and odds are most of those are going to need to be cut with a jigsaw. Bosch makes blades for cutting laminate flooring and those are probably your best bet for that situation.
I don't have a problem working with the material, but I do warn folks about the moisture issues. Out here folks want it in their beach houses and it is not a wise choice for that scenario. As long as you can keep moisture levels fairly consistent you should be fine.
....Oh well.....