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I have 31 boxes of flooring that will be getting installed next week. My question is do you take them out of the box to acclimate them, or do you leave them in the box?
I have 31 boxes of flooring that will be getting installed next week. My question is do you take them out of the box to acclimate them, or do you leave them in the box?
Leave them in the box and place the boxes in the same space (or close by) in which they will be installed; keeping the temperatures consistent between the flooring storage and the room in which it will be placed. Disclaimer: not a professional, just have had floors installed in my home.
Double check the instructions before you do anything. I installed hardwood by Kahrs a couple of months ago. The instructions had in big bold letters not to unwrap the boxes until it was time to install due to some process they did in the factory.
It is not just letting the wood sit before it is installed.
Proper acclimation is done by using a pin type wood moisture meter, and a little knowledge of your regions average moisture contents, determined by the humidity levels seen throughout the year.
Acclimating a wood floor, to the winter heating season, is very bad!!!!!!!! With the heater running, the humidity levels drop into the 20% if not lower. Acclimate and install to those ambient conditions, is asking for a compression cupped or worse, a buckled floor come spring and summer time.
Same for high humidity and the spring and summer months. Acclimating in a swelled state and installing the wood flooring, will cause bigger than normal gaps to appear between boards as winter approaches and the wood starts to dry out and shrink.
Wood is hygroscopic. Meaning it will swell with added moisture from humidity. It will shrink from a loss of moisture from less humidity.
Acclimation is not a time thing. You don't put an alarm clock on it and set it for a few days. Acclimation is a moisture content thing.
good info. what would you suggest to do when installing solid red oak floor during the winter time? turn on the heat or not? to what tempture? thank you.
good info. what would you suggest to do when installing solid red oak floor during the winter time? turn on the heat or not? to what tempture? thank you.
good info. what would you suggest to do when installing solid red oak floor during the winter time? turn on the heat or not? to what tempture? thank you.
First, would be to check many random boards, moisture content and see where we are.
Next, would be to check the interiors ambient conditions, to determine which way we are going on the moisture scale and which way we need to go.
It may not need to go anywhere and it can be installed without any acclimation what so ever.
If it is too dry going by your regions average moisture content, the shrink and swell coefficient is .00369, of Red Oak. Now you have a board width and a calculation, to determine the gaps(yes gaps) that need to be left in the installation.
AustinFloorguy.com
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