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I am currently acclimating a bunch of Home Decorators Collection click lock engineered bamboo flooring. The installation area (entryway and kitchen) currently has very even/flat linoleum and I plan to install over the top of this using the 'floating' approach.

Based on the manufacturers instructions and my research I will be doing the following:

  • 12 days acclimating near installation area
  • using high quality underlayment
  • leaving 1/2 inch expansion gap against walls

I realize these are pretty cheap floors and I'm hoping to get at least 5 years out of them and really don't want early seam buckling.

Any advice or potential traps I may run into from those who have worked with lower end engineered bamboo floors?

Some comments elsewhere I read people run a thin bead of glue in the click lock seam for better water resistance, thoughts? I do have two drippy mouthed dogs :)

Cheers and thanks for any advice.

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I'd glue it. The glue does more than water resistance. Even high end engineered wood flooring recommends gluing the tongue and groove. You want the floor to expand as a unit you don't want the expansion to drive individual boards apart so ideally each board is strongly adhere to the previous. Personal experience says the short join is the one that typically fails.

What is your underlayment install going to look like? Loose lay, glue down? Depending on the lino and how soft it is you might be able to skip the underlayment. I think half the idea behind the underlayment is to reduce noise from two hard surfaces contacting or grit between the two causing noise. The lino would probably work the same way.

It sounds like you are already set on the laminate. I've switched to waterproof vinyl click lock. It is more expensive but I love the seamless look, the flexibility (better able to handle dips in the floor) and the waterproof aspect especially over concrete. The underlayment is also typically already adhered to the bottom. I've had two major floods over the flooring (hot water tank leak and a pipe) and the floor is still going strong. The transition strips bit the dust but the floor did well.

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  • Its a very hard linoleum. I was planning to simply loose lay my underlayment and tape the seams. Do you use a basic wood glue like Titebond for the tongue and groove or is there a special type of adhesive? It makes sense that you want the expansion and contraction to occur at the edges under the trim.
    – vash1422
    Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 21:54
  • When you say the short join I am assuming you mean like numbers 1, 11, 8 in the diagram below? End joining diagram
    – vash1422
    Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 21:56
  • There is tongue and groove glue - I am not sure how different it would be than wood glue. One aspect is that you want it to cleanup nicely as you may end up squeezing it out of the join. When I say the short join I mean the end cut of the boards.
    – Fresh Codemonger
    Commented Apr 17, 2020 at 23:15
  • Thanks for clarifying. So if I'm patient put a thin bead along all tongue and groove and if I'm impatient just the short join? :) Going to give this product a try link
    – vash1422
    Commented Apr 18, 2020 at 4:07
  • I'd at least do the short join. Depending on square footage and how much glue you want to use you could do more. I'd probably do the whole entry as you likely get more traffic / wear and water in that area. Kitchen less important.
    – Fresh Codemonger
    Commented Apr 18, 2020 at 16:24

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