It is easy to view wood as a dead, unchanging material that requires little to no management before installation. But that could not be further from the truth! Hardwood is actually very dynamic—it adapts to its environment. The atmosphere and humidity play a vital role in the size, shape, and final installation of your hardwood flooring. In other words, you have to make sure the ambient conditions are just right for your wood flooring. Below, we have four key conditions that must be met before you receive your wood flooring.
Why do I need to control my job site's climate before installation?
Wood is porous, which means it can absorb excess moisture from the air or release moisture from itself. If the environment in which the wood is installed is more humid than where it was initially stored, it will take on the added moisture in the air and swell. Opposingly, the wood will give off moisture and shrink in size in low humidity environments. Fixing these problems after installing the hardwood floors is inconvenient and costly.
Hidden Humidity
Overly humid environments are a real pain when it comes to preparing your work area before installation. Lucky for you, there are steps you can take to make sure your environment is conducive to your wood flooring. But before you combat the humidity, there may be certain factors you aren’t aware of which can increase the humidity of your work area:
- Freshly painted surfaces
- Drywall texture that hasn’t fully dried
- Newly poured concrete
- The work area doesn’t have an enclosure.
Simply put, you have to be aware of anything that may increase the humidity of the room and remove it. Your brand-new hardwood floor and wallet will surely thank you!
The Necessary Conditions Before Installation
Ensuring that your job site is prepared for your hardwood flooring is a key component in the installation process. The following conditions must be met before any wood flooring is delivered to your job site.
Condition 1: Everything Must Be Dry.
Any work that involves wet substances such as paint, plaster, drywall, or concrete must be completed and fully dry before the arrival of the wood. Likewise, all crawlspaces and basements must be dry, too.
Condition 2: Close the Doors.
Your windows and doors must remain closed for at least 48 hours before installation. This is to ensure excess moisture does not come into the work area and creates a moisture imbalance between the wood flooring and its environment.
Condition 3: Implement Climate Control.
You must implement climate control (air conditioning or heat) before you begin the installation. By doing so, you can make sure the proper moisture conditions in the room are met and preserved.
Condition 4: Be Wary of Drainage.
The final grading of the job site has should be completed. This means that all drainage should run away from the area of installation. Again, this is to make sure that unnecessary humidity is avoided.
Only after you meet these conditions can the wood flooring be delivered to your job site. Then, you can begin the vital process of acclimation.
Acclimate, acclimate, acclimate!
After a thorough assessment of what could increase your work area’s humidity, it is now time to prepare your wood for its new environment. This preparation is a process called acclimation. During the acclimation process, the moisture in the wood is matched to its installation environment.
This is a non-negotiable step that you must not skip. Non-acclimated wood poses a risk to the entire cost and timeline of the installation process. To learn more about what acclimation is and how it is performed, check out our article on The Importance of Acclimation. It has everything you need to on acclimation and why it is necessary.
Asking for Help
This process may seem daunting. But we are here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be! You should ask your hardwood flooring installer how to specifically manage your climate before installation. Read through our article on The 9 Questions You Must Ask Your Hardwood Flooring Installer which describes the most important questions you ought to ask your wood flooring contractor.
Taking these extra measures ensures that your hardwood flooring is installed properly and that you can enjoy your floors for a long time. Trust us, it is worth it in the long run!