I have a question regarding bamboo installation for those out there that have installed it on a regular basis. I visited this site earlier when I installed some Aus. Cypress and got some good tips on the installation. Thanks for such a good forum.

I'm now helping someone install 5/8" x 3 3/4" bamboo in my mother-in-laws home. (I will also be installing ceramic tile in the adjoining kitchen.). The subfloor is 3/4" plywood with 5/8" particle board underlayment on top of it (carpet & vinyl in home now). I see that nailing thru the underlayment will not work since with a 2" nail or staple, you only get about 1/2" of penetration into the 3/4" plywood subfloor. So that means all the 5/8" particle board must come up first. That will be a job since it must come up in the kitchen area as well so the tile can match up to the bamboo at the transition (or I must install more plywood over the subfloor in the areas were the bamboo will go).

Now to my question...
Which is more reliable in Bamboo, staples or cleats? I used cleats in my Cypress to avoid splitting of the tongues.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Staples are best.

Keep away from the ends about 3" to avoid splitting.