What should be the time duration for wood floor acclimation? This is a question many home owners, contractors or the wood floor installation companies haven’t been able to answer in a clear direction. Wood floor installation is a tough job and home owners plan to have the wood floors installed for a particularly long period of time, so the acclimating factor has to be understood before a perfect floor install. Wrong acclimated wood floors can cause problems such as gaping or buckling. Such scenarios might not be covered under manufactures warranty. So before the installation, acclimating is a very important step you should consider for long lasting results.
Every manufacture provides guidelines for the wood they produce be it solid or engineered. The right amount of acclimation should be more than the time you let your wood floors sit on the job site. Manufacturers provide complete guidelines for the time wood floors should be acclimatize, but sometimes the time estimate from manufacturer is not accurate. This is where you will have to consider to main factors.
- Moisture Control and
- Relative Humidity
Moisture Control
Wood floors are manufactured in an environment which is no way close to the homes or offices (where the floors have to be installed eventually). Every wood floor has to be acclimatized / dried according to the environment where they will be installed ( also known as Moisture Control ) The mills or finishing factory’s environment cannot be matched with the environment at consumer level due to lack of logistics and equipment. Generally moisture control parentage varies between 6 % to 9 %, according to the manufacturers industry standards.
Relative Humidity
Wood flooring is an absorbent material, which is subject to change its shape and size according to the moisture, temperature and humidity level in surroundings. For long life of wood flooring and a perfect install, wood floors have to have the same moisture level as of the surroundings where it will be installed. The manufacturers recommend 30 % to 50 % relative humidity to be maintained at job site, before, during or after the installation.
If the above mentioned two factors are taken care of by the owner, contractor or wood flooring company, then the wood floor installation will look at its best and long lasting. Knowing the Moisture control and relative humidity percentage helps flooring companies to prepare wood floors at consumer’s environmental level, so there won’t be any problems in the long run. When it comes to new constructions, the environmental level is completely different from what it will be after the construction. This is where a smart and efficient wood flooring company is required.
Wood Flooring NJ carries many different species of solid and engineered wood floors acclimatized to the environmental conditions of consumers in New Jersey and New York. We follow the best practice required to make your hardwood floor installation superior, beautiful elegant and long lasting.
For further details visit us at: http://www.woodflooringnj.org/ or Call us at: 551-206-0600