Bamboo and Exotic Wood Floors - 5/8" Bamboo-3/4" Hardwood Transition?

Looking to install bamboo flooring (only can find 5/8") in my bedroom. I've previously installed almost 1000 sq ft of 3/4" oak throughout my home. I have two questions:

1) How does one transition between the 3/4" hardwood and the 5/8" bamboo? I need to do this in the doorway.

2) I have previously used 2" Bostich staples for the 3/4" hardwood installation and I still have several thousand staples left. I can still use these, correct? My Harbor Freight floor stapler kicks butt! Not a single jam yet after nearly 1000 sq ft of flooring.

Thanks!

You are talking about a height difference of 1/8". T-moldings are usually dropped into a 3/4" expansion gap between two wood floors of same height. With the bamboo being 1/8" lower, it's possible to slip a strip of 1/8" masonite beneath the molding on the bamboo side of the transition.

If you have had a successful installation using the staples for 3/4" hardwood, then 1/8" difference should not make a difference.

The best thing to do to keep your floor level is to install a 1/8 inch sub-floor in your bedroom. You can normally find luan in stores like home depot or Lowe’s. Installing it is easy, all you need is a good utility knife and a staple/brad gun using 1” to 1 ½” brads. Make sure you nail it down every 4inch on center. With or without a sub-floor you will most likely need to pick up transition.

You should be fine using your nail gun with the bamboo; I would try it on a test piece though just to make sure.

I put in 5/8" bamboo floor last weekend in the bedroom (16x13) with - a harbor freight nailgun!

Things I learned:
The default foot (that rests on the floor) is too thick. I used some old pergo flooring so the nailer would drive the staple directly into the groove of the tongue and groove flooring.

I started with the 15 1/2 gauge 2" staples. After 6 rows of having to seat the staples I switched to 2" cleats. Use the cleats.

I wish I had thought of this earlier, but hindsight is 20:20. Where the nailer meets the edge of the flooring (hard to describe - just above where the cleat leaves the gun - to the left and the right there is metal that presses just above the groove), if I hit the nailer too hard it would ding the floor. Thinking about it now, I would have used a grinder so only the feet of the nailer would touch the side of the flooring. Do a few practice hits into bamboo and you'll understand what I'm unsuccessfully describing.

Otherwise, the floor looks great. For transitions between flooring, I have a 1" thick block of mahogany that is big enough to dado out my own T transitions. That way I can taper the depth to any size I want, and I round over the top with a belt sander.

BTW - I use a golden oak wood putty to match the color of the bamboo for any finishing nails I use.

Ed, Thanks so much for posting!

There's no better advice than the kind you just gave. Someone who doesn't do this professionally will have issues the pros often don't encounter.

It's very kind of you to share your new found expertise:thumbup:

Connie

A T molding will float an 1/8th of an inch height difference.