Will Hardwood Acclimate In The Box

Failure to properly acclimate hardwood flooring before installation begins may compromise the integrity of your floor.

Will hardwood acclimate in the box.

I am installing oak wood floors in my kitchen. It doesn t matter if you use solid hardwood. Wood floor acclimation can be achieved by cross stacking and spacing wood floor materials to encourage air circulation around the boards. Because of this it s important to pull the product out of the box and lay it as closely as possible into place before the installation process.

If hardwood planks are not allowed to acclimate to their environment before installation issues like cupping warping and gapping can arise. How long should a wood floor acclimate. I cannot find any information anywhere stating this. Engineered wood flooring materials take approximately 3 days to acclimate and solid hardwood flooring can take anywhere from 5 to 10 days depending on the humidity dryness of the region you live.

This process is known as hardwood acclimation. Keep in mind that results can change plank to plank box to box. Inside the boxes make sure the room or level where the flooring will be laid is an enclosed space. Do prefinished floors need to acclimate.

It is being installed next week and my flooring contractor is telling me that once the wood is installed it has to acclimate for another 3 4 weeks before it can be sanded and stained. Most manufacturers recommend materials acclimate for a minimum of three days with no maximum suggested. Failing to properly acclimate wood flooring may cause excessive expansion shrinkage dimensional distortion or structural damage. Wood floors are wood.

Once your hardwood has fully acclimated to its new environment and with the proper installation and care over time you can avoid issues like these. The wood is in my house now and has been acclimating for 2 weeks. Before installing wood floors the flooring needs to reach a moisture content mc level that is in equilibrium with the surrounding environment. Engineered hardwood claims it does not need to be acclimated but it also says the hardwood should be within a certain percentage of the subfloor.

How to acclimate hardwood flooring. Acclimation of wood flooring begins with proper storage at the job site. Maintaining the recommended acclimation levels after the installation will minimize board movement excessive squeaks and gaps. The planks can remain in the box with the ends cut open for the duration of the acclimation period.

Between 5 and 10 days ahead of time check to see if the temperature and humidity of the space is at normal living conditions.