Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 15, 1999 09:50am | #1

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   Whitten: I assume that caution was because of the high humidity in the air may cause the boards to swell and therefore will leave gaps come winter. A recent JLC article on hardwood flooring installations argued convincing that you SHOULDN"T let hardwood flooring acclimitize to the building site. The chance that you have average humidity during your acclimitization of the wood is low. The factory has better control of moisture content. Just nail down what they send you before it swells too much in the summer or shrinks too much in the winter. Or, if you are prone to worry about it, get a hygrometer (humidity gauge) at the local science or auto parts store for $10-30 and get your house to a mid-range humidity for the install.

2. 
   Elite_Flooring/ken_fisher | Jun 16, 1999 01:56am | #2

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   Whitten:

   If you're anywhere this time of the year...SC especially you're naturally going have the AC on. If not get that place dried out for hardwood flooring install. Adverse moisture conditions on the subfloor and the material itself can play havoc with any installation and can just explode a few weeks later. Trust me....been there.

   David makes some points. As far as acclimation make sure it's acclimating to low humidity with a AC environment. Don't forget the 15# roofing felt as a moisture barrier on the subfloor as I am assuming it's a naildown on plywoood.

3. 
   Guest_ | Jun 16, 1999 03:13am | #3

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   Whitten,

   Ken makes a good point. If your going to install in this weather, your house has to be at a controlled temperature/humidity. Don't even think about installing it if it's not. Come winter you'll have more gaps then you'll know what to do with. I prefer rosin paper myself.

   Joseph Fusco

   View Image

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 16, 1999 05:22am | #4

   *Whitten....just recently saw a process that I thought was BS. But man, it worked like you wouldn't believe.. We are in Texas...talk about humid....this floor guy laid a solid maple floor and left abot a 1/16" to 1/8" gap at about every fith board run. The house was not climate controlled at the time of the installation, and he said from his experience ( many, many years ) that the floor would close up before he got back to sand and put the finish on. I thought he was crazy, but I was wrong. The floor did close up... ( there was no heaving anywhere due to swelling )and it turned out beautiful. I can't for the life of me remember his last name, but if your interested I could get you his number from the general contractor.Note: Always put the flooring down after the sheetrock but before the trim.Ed. Williams

4. 
   Jeff_Hosking_/www.hoskinghardwoo | Jun 16, 1999 05:35am | #5

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   Everyone here has great advice.
   What we do here in New England during the winter heating months is to generally allow the flooring dry down for say a week. Only because no one, no matter how many times you tell them, adds moisture to their home during the dry heating season. Example if we installed the wood right away at 6-9 percent (which is what flooring is typically milled at, and = a normal interior RH of between 40-55%), the flooring would contract in size with the low 20 percent RH that we find. But during the humid summer to keep cool they difinatly crank on the air conditioning which removes excessive humidity so we find it balances out as far as wood movement goes.

   Homeowners should try and keep their interior RH to between 40-55% David is right in suggesting for them purchase a $25 Hygromiter to register the RH.

   -Jeff Hosking -Hosking Hardwood Flooring

5. 
   Whitten | Jun 16, 1999 05:35am | #6

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   I am in the process of remodeling my home, which will include the installation of hardwood flooring. I have heard that the summer is not an ideal time for this process. Please help with any advice regarding this subject. Our home is located in South Carolina. Thanks.