Let Hardwood Flooring Acclimate

This requires some planning but if you try to acclimate your flooring in an area with fluctuating temperature it cannot acclimate to the level of your home.

Let hardwood flooring acclimate.

Make sure the room or level where the flooring will be laid is an enclosed space. How to acclimate hardwood flooring acclimation location. If your wood flooring sits in your home too long in the winter and dries out it will expand and permanently cup in the summer or when the home reaches normal living conditions. How to acclimate hardwood flooring.

For most wood flooring the wood floor must be within 4 of the moisture content of your subfloor. Hardwood flooring should be acclimated in a controlled enclosed environment. Acclimation of wood flooring begins with proper storage at the job site. Allow wood flooring to acclimate for at least three days acclimation times vary by species and product but a rule of thumb is to acclimate wood floor products for at least three days.

Hardwoods should be acclimated in the same room level where they will be installed. Between 5 and 10 days ahead of time check to see if the temperature and humidity of the space is at normal living conditions. Solid wood flooring should be delivered to the jobsite and allowed to acclimate to the conditions in which it will be installed or near occupancy levels. Basements are moisture prone since higher humidity air is heavier and sinks.

Never acclimate the engineered hardwood floors too soon in a room that has just been painted or drywall that has just been put up. Most manufacturers recommend materials acclimate for a minimum of three days with no maximum suggested. In other words let the heat or air run as it would normally for at least 5 days. Don t make the mistake of acclimating the hardwoods in a basement when they are to be installed on the first floor.

Check your flooring with a moisture meter to ensure an accurate reading. Any moisture coming from several construction compounds such as in paints or drywall may still be present in the room. It is a fact that wood flooring will always perform best when the environment is controlled and remains within a relative humidity range of 30 50. You re trying to reach an equilibrium between the moisture content of the wood materials and the air where the product is being installed.

Wood floor acclimation can be achieved by cross stacking and spacing wood floor materials to encourage air circulation around the boards. Delivery should be after major projects have been completed and thoroughly dry such as dry wall and masonry work. Acclimating your flooring too much to either of these seasons can cause permanent damage to your hardwood flooring. Temperature and humidity should be monitored.

Acclimation describes the process of conditioning hardwood floor planks so their moisture content is at the optimal level for the environment it is to be installed.