Bamboo and Exotic Wood Floors - Glue down to gypcrete? Help!

After ripping up my carpet I've discovered I have a layer of gypcrete and not plywood like I thought. I live on the second floor in a condo in a pretty dry climate in Colorado. I want to install 5/8" bamboo floors (link below). I have a guy that says it is OK to glue down to gypcrete but I have also read and heard that this is a bad idea. Is it doable? Help!



Lumber Liquidators: 5/8" x 3-3/4" Horizontal Natural Bamboo Flooring (http://www.lumberliquidators.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=1921&)

In my experience gyp is pretty prone to cracks and deterioration over the long term. As the wood expands and contracts, even in our dry climate here, if the glue bond is real strong it will pull up the gyp in hunks. I would suggest a floating floor of some sort, or tile over ditra if I wanted the installation to last very long. I am sure some other folks will have an opinion before too long, but if I had gyp in my house I would buy a good floating floor system with a very high quality underlayment if I needed wood.

Bob

Most manufacturers of glue down products do not recommend the procedure and will void warranty. Contact manufacturer to confirm. As indicated, floating engineered system with vapor retarder and the manufacturer's recommended underlayment tends to be the preferred method. Read and follow all instructions in order to not void warranty.

Many condo associations do not allow hard surface floor coverings on the second floor. So you might want to confirm that.

I agree with the previous posters. If you glue to gypcrete, it will not stick. Also, I have found those subfloors need a lot of leveling to achieve flatness. Because gypcrete is usually about 3/4 to 1 inch thick over plywood, you could try screwing 3/8 or 1/2 inch plywood through the gypcrete into the plywood and then gluing over it. It is not ideal as it will create height problems, but at least it will stick.

Hey I'm in the same exact situation. I'm in a condo on the third floor. I'm looking to install wood flooring to replace my carpet but have the gypcrete.

I've also heard both sides saying you can glue to the gypcrete and that it is a bad idea. I've heard it's a good idea to seal the gypcrete and then glue the wood down. The thing is part of my floor is vinyl glued down to the gypcrete.......... with no problems........so if the vinyl is glued to the gypcrete why wouldn't the wood floor glue down.............?

Did you come to a decision on whether to glue to gypcrete?

There is Engineered Bamboo flooring that can be glued (full-spread adhesive or Sika) to concrete or gypcrete. If your heart is set on solid bamboo, you will have to put down a plywood subfloor.