Leave Hardwood Inside Prior To Install

Don t make the mistake of acclimating the hardwoods in a basement when they are to be installed on the first floor.

Leave hardwood inside prior to install.

What to know and do before wood flooring installation day. Basements are moisture prone since higher humidity air is heavier and sinks. All solid hardwood products need to be acclimated to the new environment for at least 24 hours prior to installation. We ve all heard someone in the flooring industry say the wood flooring must sit in the home to acclimate for a period of time before installation.

If you don t acclimate wood flooring it can cause a myriad of problems. Make sure you leave the wood inside the home with the boxes open for at least a few weeks prior to installing solid hardwood flooring. Open the boxes and lay them flat in the room where they ll be installed. This is an old myth from back before wood flooring was properly kiln dried.

Hardwoods should be acclimated in the same room level where they will be installed. In addition to perimeter expansion center expansions are recommended in floating floor installations exceeding predetermined spans of liner feet. If you ve decided to install engineered hardwoods there are four possible installation methods depending on the subfloor. It s important that the wood acclimatizes to the environment to prevent cupping or shrinkage after installing the hardwood flooring.

Whether it s engineered hardwood bamboo or real wood it s crucial to acclimate wood floors before installation. Don t bring the hardwoods into the space until the heating or air has been runnin g for at least 5 days and wait 7 10 days before actually installing them. Glue nail staple and float. An important note on solid hardwoods.

Failing to properly acclimate wood flooring may cause excessive expansion shrinkage dimensional distortion or structural damage. Not acclimating hardwood floors can cause excessive gaps warping buckling or cupping after the installation is complete. The expansion joint may also be compromised which will result in further damage. The wood flooring needed to sit in the home to actually dry out.

Before installing wood floors the flooring needs to reach a moisture content mc level that is in equilibrium with the surrounding environment. There are all different answers from 5 days to 2 weeks or more. Each floating floor manufacture has their own specific predetermined span limit so it s important to read the manufactures installation guide before installation. Failure to properly acclimate hardwood flooring before installation begins may compromise the integrity of your floor.

This process is known as hardwood acclimation.