I purchased some 3-1/4" x 36" bamboo tongue and groove nail down flooring from an auction. The room in the old house has half particle board subfloor, and half hardwood flooring from the 1950's which had dips as much as 1/2". I have used leveling compound and made it level. I tried driving flooring staples through a test piece with level compound and I get cracking - I think this could cause problems, like crackling when walking under that area. Also have been told by flooring people that particle board is not a good subfloor to nail into, as over time, may likely loosen and produce gaps in the flooring.
So I thought of floating the floor and glueing the tongue and groove, with a 1/8" foam underlay. I have talked to a few suppliers and some say this can be done using a resilient glue. Others have said the bamboo slats are designed for nail down and if you glue them tongue and groove, they will eventually come apart - because the tongue and the groove are not designed tight enough, and there is no guarantee the glue will interface properly. I find that hard to swallow, as the tongue and groove have little room, and glue will surely spread well and cover the surfaces. Info on the internet seems to say that you can float bamboo floors. Does anybody out there have experience with floating a bamboo floor? What type or brand would you use?
Thanks, Henry