Hardwood Flooring Installation 101: Acclimation

Every hardwood products are affected by the surrounding environmental conditions. Acclimate the brand new flooring on the surface to be installed, back to standard living conditions while still in the boxes. In case the products are sealed in plastic, then open both ends of the boxes. Duration of time is not a determining factor.

The aim is to achieve a moisture balance or equilibrium between the new flooring and its environment before actual installation. That is, the humidity conditions and temperatures that will ideally be experienced after the new home moisture removal and the house is occupied. Hardwood flooring is manufactured to a moisture content between six percent and nine percent. If you use a temperature and humidity chart, 40% humidity develops a wood moisture content of 7.7%, which is in an average range.

In the North Eastern Regions like Europe, is the mid-point of the range that a home needs to be in after the new home moisture is eliminated. Other areas may require some acclimations to bring the wood down to 2% of the subflooring. The home should be as much as possible, climate controlled to an average humidity as close to 40%, since this range is the most healthy and comfortable for humans.

In most instances, floorings are ready to install immediately after purchasing. If your house environment falls within this range, the wood flooring will remain unchanged whether in your home or at the temperature controlled warehouse.

The Northeast countries have dry winter and very humid summer climatic conditions. If you acclimated flooring for too long in extreme dry winter conditions and fixed when it has shrunk, it would expand excessively and cup when the wet season arrives. When you acclimate the flooring to high humidity conditions and installed when it is extended, the floor would shrink excessively when the dry season returns resulting in significant gaps between boards.

If you have a structure on piers, a cottage that is not heated during winter, a crawl space, or any conditions that may be considered abnormal, please contact a qualified technician or certified institution. You must also understand that a wood-based subfloor has to be within, or around 2% moisture content of the hardwood flooring before proceeding with the installation process.

Having the wood flooring on the construction site before you meet these conditions will result in a change in dimensions, in particular, the ends. More so, if the humidity is above the recommended levels, the wood ends will absorb moisture first and expand. On the other hand, if the humidity levels were lower than that which is recommended in solid wood, the ends would shrink because of losing moisture. For engineered floorings, the top coat of timber would crack. Problems are therefore created unnecessarily in both cases.

Acclimation is very misunderstood. More often, people are always adamant that wood floorings need to sit in the house two to three weeks before installation to acclimate. Though this was right some time back before the wood was kiln dried when the flooring had to be kept in the house to complete the drying process, this has so far changed with technology.