Installation
As with all quality natural products, it is vital that EcoFloors are correctly installed to ensure that they give you pleasure for years to come, so please follow these guidelines. While we do not recommend contractors we can sometimes put you in touch with one that has done satisfactory work for a client and we are happy to talk to the contractor you choose. Always ask for references with the quote and make sure that the specification that they have quoted for addresses the issues we discuss here.

Acclimatisation
It is vital that the room in which the flooring is to be laid should be at its normal temperature, 48 hours before the floor, adhesives and insulating materials etc are introduced into the room and then these materials should be in the room ideally for 72 hours before the flooring is laid so that the moisture content has time to stabilise. This will ensure that movement in the floor is kept to a minimum reducing the likelihood of gaps appearing.

Sub-Floors (evenness, cleanliness and moisture content)
These are the floors that the floor is to be laid on. They may be existing planks, flooring quality chipboard, plywood, concrete screed, thermoplastic tiles, ceramic tiles etc

If the flooring strips are to be glued to the surface then the surface must be clean, dry, smooth and free of dirt, wax, oil, paint, curing agents and other contaminants that would affect the bonding of the adhesive; and it must be flat and structurally sound. For example if the floor was previously covered with thermoplastic tiles they should still be firmly fixed and a suitable levelling compound should be used where tiles are missing.

In the case of a traditional hardwood floor of joists and floor boards it is likely that the flooring will not be even and there will probably be loose floor boards. A main reason for this is that the joists will almost certainly have changed their moisture content since they were installed and some will have shrunk more than others and unevenly. In worst cases it may be advisable to remove the existing boards and replace with flooring quality plywood after levelling the joists. It may be possible in some cases to spread 8 mm plywood over the sub-floor and make sure that is securely nailed down with the right flat head nails so that there are no gaps between the ply and the original boards (make sure that there are 5 mm expansion gaps between sheets); the floor boards themselves will of course also have to be securely nailed. If the floor is still uneven then a levelling compound may solve the problem. With this type of floor, sound insulation will almost certainly be an issue and it may be as well to lay the floor as a floating floor over the most appropriate sound insulating layer, or, glue the floor using the Sika Acoubond system which incorporates a sound insulating mat;see below under sound insulation.

If the sub-floor is cementatious then it should have a moisture content of 2.5 % by volume or less (4% by weight) and 1.5% or less by volume, if under floor heating is installed. Above this moisture level the floor should not be laid as the boards may 'cup' and expansion could cause the floor to buckle. If the sub-floor is not a screed then the difference in moisture content between the sub-floor and the floor should be less than 4%. There are too many reasons as to why the moisture content might be high and professional advice is needed. Remedies may be suggested by the technical departments of Sika Ltd and Interfloor Ltd but a common reason is that a new screed has not had time to dry out. In this case the problem can be solved with Sika Epocem 81 a special screed which dries quickly. If it is a borderline case with 4% moisture content then apply SikaDur Liquid Membrane to the surface. Care should be taken when considering using many moisture barriers over moisture laden new screeds as often they will break down and in any case the moisture has to go somewhere and if may well still affect the moisture content of the air in the room to a dangerous extent.

The above is designed to highlight the risks and does not constitute recommendations as to how to deal with specific installations as there are too many possible variables. Where there is a risk that moisture may be an issue it is too important to be left to chance because of the potential cost of putting the damage right and professional advice should be sought.

Laying the floor
To avoid the possibility of a patchy floor it is a good idea to take successive pieces of flooring as they are laid from different boxes. Bamboo is an organic material and there will be very slight colour variations between the boxes and these are more likely to be noticed if a large area is laid next to another large area of a slightly different shade.

The boards should be laid in the same way as the contractor would lay boards with these dimensions made from traditional hardwoods flooring board like oak, beech and maple and ideally the boards should be laid parallel to the long dimension of the room. If they are to be laid over existing floor boards that are laid in the same direction then 8 mm ply sheets will have to be used over the boards. The boards can be fixed to the sub-floor using a suitable adhesive like SikaBond T-52, T54 or T-2. In the case of T-2 this will iron out certain irregularities in the floor as it acts as 'liquid batten' and leaves a 2 mm gap between the sub-floor and the floor. It may however in many cases be better to lay the floor as a 'floating floor'.

Floating floors should be laid on a smooth flat surface. Failure to do so will result in a creaking floor that will gradually come apart. If the sub floor is a traditional joist and plank floor then it will probably be necessary to ensure that it is securely nailed and then nail down sheets of 8 mm ply before laying the sound proof layer and then the flooring on top. Timbermate Excel will do well for this type of application but if the floor is above another property this on its own may not provide enough sound proofing. If the sub-floor is a concrete slab then the requirement of the Part E regulations may be met.

Tongue and groove floors may also be 'blind nailed' into the tongue onto the sub-floor using a nail gun but in this case there will be no sound proofing, as a sound insulating mat cannot be used under the floor.

Sound Insulation
This is increasingly important especially for flat dwellers who may have clauses in their leases forbidding wooden floors. Fortunately there are now a range of sound insulating materials that can be used to persuade managing agents that with the right underlay the footfall noise transmitted to the flat below will scarcely be noticed.

Some specialist companies will reduce the footfall noise and the airborne noise such as Sound Reduction Systems, distributors of Acoustilay, www.soundreduction.co.uk 01204 380 074 but in most cases it will only be necessary to address the footfall noise and the reflected noise in the room and then products like Timbermate Duratex, Excel and Gold from

Interfloor Ltd www.interfloor.com 01706 238 810 will be do the job reducing noise transmission by as much as 23 db or using the continental measurement, SONE levels of 56 or less can be achieved; this compares with SONE levels of 77 for floor without sound insulation. Sound reduction can also be achieved by using the Sika AcouBond system which uses The Sika Silent Layer mat and the T-52, or, cheaper T-54 adhesive. This will reduce transmitted impact noise by 16- 18 db with a 3 mm thick mat and by 17-25 db with a 5 mm mat. In order to meet the new Part E Building Regulations the 5mm will probably be necessary and these are only likely to be achieved if the sub-floor is concrete or has been professionally sound proofed. Sika Ltd www.sika.co.uk 01707 394444.

In some cases on concrete ground floors reflected foot fall noise can be significantly reduced with 3 mm polyethylene Cellu-cushion sheeting from Sealed Air Limited; call 01536 315 700 for stockists; this is a cheap solution in which the floor is laid as a floating floor onto the inexpensive polyethylene sheet.

Even if the rights of other homeowners are not involved, a room will be more comfortable if the sound levels in the room are reduced with an underlay. If the floor is to be laid onto a concrete sub- floor then it can be laid directly onto the concrete using SikaBond T-2 liquid batten adhesive. This will enable rapid laying of the floor and will result in a noticeable reduction in reflective noise of about 4dB. (A 10 dB reduction is equivalent to halving the noise.) Sika do not advise using T-2 with under floor heating because of the 2 mm air gap that results from using this adhesive is too good a heat insulator. With under floor heating use their AcouBond system as detailed above under sound insulation.

Central Heating Pipes
Where central heating has been installed in a house that did not have central heating when it was originally built, then it is wise to check that there is no possibility of local heat build up as a result of pipes having been cut into joists so that they are lying close under the sub-floor or even touching it. Worse case scenarios are when several pipes are cut into the joists in doorways.

Local heat build up will cause the boards to expand locally and this can result in the tongue and groove separating; worse case the floor actually 'tears' as the expansion is uneven. In this case it is necessary to use thermal load spreaders like hardboard sheets nailed to the sub-floor with 1" flat head nails; make sure that there is a 5mm gap between the sheets to allow for expansion. It is also advisable to spread some aluminium foil over the areas where the pipes are located to reflect the heat away.

Under-floor Central Heating
Modern under floor heating systems have been designed with hardwood flooring in mind. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for installing the system under traditional hardwood floor board like oak and the bamboo floor will be fine.

Remember that the flooring, glue, etc have to be conditioned or acclimatised in the room at the normal temperature.

Where sound insulation is an issue you can follow the advice as detailed above but make sure that you follow the supplier or manufacturer's instructions and take advice from them.

Exposure to water e.g. in bathrooms and kitchens
If the floor is in an area that is likely to be subjected to water spillage, it is essential that precautions be taken to ensure that the water cannot get under the floor, where it could sit for a long time. In such areas always make sure that tongues and grooves are glued together with something like Unibond PVA waterproof adhesive. This will prevent surface water seeping through and collecting under the boards. Cut ends and the gaps where tiles, skirting or bath panels meet the floor should be sealed with silicone sealant. It is imperative that no water gets under the floor.

Initial Care of your EcoFloor
Following installation, vacuum the floor to remove any dirt or debris that could scratch the surface. Mop with dilute detergent to remove stains. For general care vacuum and mop with dilute detergent.

Material Specifications
Indentation Resistance
according to ASTM 1037 (Janka Ball Hardness), EcoFloor bamboo showed an average hardness of 1040 (27% harder that Northern Red Oak, 13% harder than hard maple).

Coating
3 coats of 100% solid UV cured acrylic urethane.

Flammability
ASTM critical radiant test. Class 1 rating per NFPA 'Life Safety Code'. (Can be used in all classes of buildings)

Smoke Density
ASTM E622 test pass reading = 450 or less. EcoFloor passes with 269 flaming mode and 329 non-flaming mode.

Moisture Content
kiln drying and sealing brings the interior moisture content down to 8-10%.

Abrasion Resistance
to ASTM c501 (H-22 calibrate wheels loaded with 1000 gm weight at 70 rpm for 1000 cycles) weight loss = 349 gm = 12 oz.

Chemical Stain Resistance
finish was unaffected when tested with acetic acid (5%), acetone ammonium hydroxide (10%), toluene ethyl alcohol (50%), hydrochloric acid (10%), turpentine (0.025%), hydrogen peroxide (3%0, sodium hydroxide (1%).

Dimensional Stability
showed dimensional change of coefficient of 0.00144 during standard wood flooring test method.

Compressive Strength
- ASTM testD3501 - 86A
- Parallel to grain 7,549 PSI
- Perpendicular to grain 2,566 PSI
- Flat 16,926 PSI at 50% Strain

Bending Strength
ASTM Test D3043 - 87 = 13,608 PSI

Bending Elasticity Modules
= 943,443 PSI

Slip Resistance
ASTM test D2047 0.71 coefficient of friction.

Shear Strength
BSI result = parallel to grain 1,365 PSI

Tensile Strength
ASTM Test D3500-90 A; result parallel to grain 15,290PSI.