Less then 30 days and we'll be in our new house! Before we get too settled we want to redo the first floor with all hardwoods including three bedrooms, living and dining room and the hallway. We've checked prices and we like the stranded bamboo which we can snap and float on a wood subfloor (part of which has HW already that we'll remove). So, here are my questions

1.) I want to run it length wise down the hall so where should I start?
2.) The instructions highlight that if you have a run longer than 30' you need to break it. That would mean I have to break it in the hallway which seems odd (and a trip hazard). Do I have to do this? Is there another solution? Where should I break it?
3.) I'd prefer to install it the first week we're there before we move our stuff in but it says two weeks acclimation. Should I wait the two weeks or can I just check with a moister meeter? Can I acclimate it at my current house (an hour away) so it's ready to install that first week?
4.) We're going to veneer the brick fireplace with stone. Should we do this before or after the floors are installed? I'm assuming the flooring should go under the veneer for the best look so I'm assuming after would be better?

Lots of questions, thanks!

I would recommend you call the manufacturer to get some clarification on some items, esp the acclimation time.

In general, I think it's best to err on the side of caution for acclimation - longer is better. (otherwise, you may have buckling later, esp during summer months).

That being said, 2 weeks sounds like a long time, especially for an engineered and floating product. It's ideal to have it acclimate in the place where it will be installed (as opposed to your current home) and on the actual floor/level of where it will be and IMPORTANTLY make sure the temperature/humidity is set to normal for this time of year. This is a step that many new homeowners forget, esp if they are not living there yet. Of course having the wood in a temperature controlled environment like your current home helps, but it's much better for it to be in the place where it will be installed.

That being said, generally this time of year is the most average, so perhaps you can get away w/ less acclimation time. But, it is a risk you are taking and if you have any issues w/ the floor, your warranty will be invalid as you did not follow the manufacturer's directions.

Re: expansion joint, check w/ them, too. Usually, this sort of thing is need when you span more than 1,000 sf. They may just be assuming the room is 30 x 30. Chances are you are okay on this one, but call to get clarification.

Since it's a floating floor, definitely do the stone work first. You do not want a floating floor under that, or you will have buckling as the floor will not be able to expand/contract properly. Also, you may need some additional pieces (e.g. thresholds) for proper transitions here.

Hope that helps.
Debbie Gartner, aka The Flooring Girl

Better be careful with that click stranded bamboo. Read this thread here : stranded-click-bamboo-nightmare-you-make-the-call-t10462.html

Depending on the zone you live in you may need a humidifier and or dehumidification. Acclimation is not a time thing ( man, how many times have we said that here) and really needs a qualified installer with proper wood meters to tell you when it is ok to install.
You can do longer runs if you prep for it. Like undercutting sheetrock and the fireplace hearth prior to installation. I do it all the time even with floating floors. Depending on wether or not your adding a backer board and tile, you may not need to undercut, just leave proper expansion space. Most of these are floaters:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13772863@N ... 231981053/

Careless installer, careless consumer for not educating themselves. Any floor will have issues if you don't understand it (this why I'm asking questions).




I'm in the north east where humidity and temperature ranges throughout the year. It's never super dry or really wet so I'm not worried about that. I have a meter that I plan on using I was just curious if I should stick with the two weeks even if the meter says I'm with in the install range. Directly from the install sheet:





It's what the manufacturer recommends and apparently if you don't install it this way you void the warranty. The guys at LL said most manufacturers have something like this that people don't follow and then are surprised when they wont fix the wood when it buckles. I personally think a break in the hallway would look silly though.

And what type meter are you planning on using?

its your floor you, do what you feel best. I wouldnt put a "t" in the hall myself. I would keep an eye on it and if it started to lift you could easily come in with a circular saw and put one in "if" it ever becomes a problem. Stranded bamboo is a newer product on the market and its pretty hot stuff right now and the overall consensus is still out on the overall stability of the product. Of course if you are dealing with LL and your warranty is out the window anyway.