Bamboo Over Radiant Floors

Radiant floor heat systems are one of the most efficient means of heating houses available. A boiler similar to a domestic hot water heater keeps a supply of hot water available for a system of pumps, valves, and manifolds to distribute the heated water via plastic tubes throughout numerous zones of the house. This house will have dozens of separate zones, and each zone will be thermostatically controlled.

The tubes pictured here [master bedroom and master bath] will be covered by 1 1/2" gypcrete and then by either bamboo or porcelain tile flooring. There won't be a stitch of carpet anywhere in the house.

Bamboo over a radiant floor heating system is an increasingly bad idea in the less humid areas of the world unless extensive heroic measures are taken -- measures such as floating the floor above the gypcrete, using engineered bamboo instead of solid bamboo, using vertical-grain instead of horizontal-grain bamboo, and using bamboo by certain manufacturers that kiln dry their bamboo down to 5% moisture content or less -- all measures we will be taking which help maintain the dimensional stability of bamboo flooring in arid climates.

Even then, the bamboo installer and manufacturer will not warranty their finished product. But the owner wants it anyway.

The finished floors should beautiful. Let's just hope they stay that way.