Acclimating pre-finished wood flooring
CeltsFan
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
There’s lots of advice everywhere about the importance of acclimating your wood flooring to the living environment before it is installed. However, what I haven’t seen is exactly what you should do in order to do that.
Our pre-finished wood flooring came in cardboard boxes. I stacked the boxes in a pyramid shape, with a 2-3″ gap between them, so that there is good air circulation around the boxes. But, I’m wondering if that is good enough. Do I need to take it out of the boxes? Do I need to open up the ends of the boxes?
For the sake of not having the jobsite become a real disaster, I’d like to leave it in the boxes if possible (makes it a lot easier to move the bundles around). But, I want to make sure I don’t make a mistake.
Replies
Don't worry about it. In the boxes are fine and simply stacked is enough. I see others who just go pick up the flooring and start that day and have little trouble, I woudn't try this. I always leave the flooring about as long as possible before I install. Doesn't hurt to buy early and leave them about as long as possible.
Whether or not you are helping the flooring by leaving it to acclimatize depends on the conditions of the job site. What acclimatizing really comes down to is trying to get the moisture content to a specific level. That level depends on where you are located and charts are available online to determine it for where you are building.
If the house has excess humidity, as most do when under construction, and the flooring is dry, you may be doing more harm than good. That is, you are acclimatizing it to conditions that won't exist once the house is occupied.
There was some good detailed discussions of this about a year ago with links to the charts you might want to do a search and check out.
Hey Celts fan,
er...what do they call someone from Massachusetts...a masshole(a vermonter told me this)...I'm an expat from Mass so I guess i can say that <grin>
Anyway,
I like to open the ends of the boxes and let the wood breathe for 2 weeks if time permits...air is cheap and solves most problems.
But, the humidity in the house should be between 40 and 50%. Use a dehumidifier if you have to...but be aware of existing moisture issues...hardwood likes 40 to 50% year round if possible.
Check the subfloor with a moisture meter-I think it should be within 2 or 3% of your prefinished flooring...
Those are the big ones I try to hit...put brown building paper between the subfloor and the new flooring to avoid wood on wood.
And use latex construction adhesive when started and finishing at walls where you can't get in with the floor nailer. Then use wedges
at the wall to tighten the last few rows if you get my drift.
I've used my old favorite-pl premium but if some dries on the floor, it ain't coming off...latex wipes off with water.
hope this helps,
silver
"And use latex construction adhesive when started and finishing at walls where you can't get in with the floor nailer."
If you glue the floor at the walls it can't move. Allowing the floor to move is essential. That's why you leave a 3/4" gap to the framing.
I leave a 1/4" gap at the walls to the drywall(ok that's 3/4" to framing) and even with the edges glued, the floor moves no problem...
the body of the floor grows and shrinks +/- 1/4" between summer and winter. How do you fasten the floor boards at the walls when they're just pinned in the tongue with 18 ga. brads? I set the last board in construction adhesive and wedge until dry usually with no nails...never had a problem.BTW, how's the work situation on Vancouver Island? Do you like it there? I was hot to move out there 'bout a year ago...I got over it for now.cheers,silver
Things are still busy here. About a year ago several condo projects were put on hold because labour and material prices were rising so fast developers found their initial construction budgets were far too low. All that seems to be straightened out. Quite a few large projects either being built or in the planning stages. I do see house prices flattening and lots of inventory building up, but compared to what is happening elsewhere I really can't complain.
The island is a beautiful place to live, but after Ontario you might find it takes a while to get used to the locals.
"The island is a beautiful place to live, but after Ontario you might find it takes a while to get used to the locals." piqued my curiosity-in what way?I always heard it is beautiful and ever since I arrived in Thunder Bay
way back in '78,I've heard about B.C. and have always wanted to go there...someday soon.Thunder Bay was once a dot on a map on my porcelain kitchen table in Greenfield, Mass. Since then I'm living in another country, with another woman...installing the odd hardwood floor.cheers,silver
silver
Bearing in mind these are broad generalizations, I would say it is much like the differences between Vermont and California. There is definitely a whiff of the hippy legacy here. It means the people are very open, but also perhaps to things they shouldn't be.
Compared to the East the communities here were settled relatively recently, so that there is not a deep common history to draw on. Coupled with an actively migrant population of immigrants and retirees it makes for a feeling of impermanence. I have found relatively few of the clients who spend time planning and building their dream houses last five years.
As with any ex-patriot group, there is always a nostalgia that colours their view of a place, but most transplanted Easterners here say they love the scenery and pace of life, but find a lack of community and culture. I think you can see it in the way people describe their loyalty to their home: Newfoundlanders miss other Newfs. Vancouver Islanders miss their beautiful Island.
Well said and enlightening...thankssilver