How long does engineered hardwood need to acclimate

After we have taken all precautions and know the job site is ready, we will bring the wood flooring in and let it sit for one to two weeks depending on the situation, and then we will proceed with our installation. Wood flooring is hygroscopic, meaning it will naturally absorb moisture and change dimension.

Wood will expand when it retains moisture and become smaller when it loses moisture. This definition is defined by the NWFA along with other useful resources. If acclimated wood flooring is delivered to a job site while the contractors are still painting, the wood flooring will absorb the moisture of the paint, increasing the moisture content of the wood.

Wider boards tend to have more movement issues than narrow boards. Conditions of our example below may vary because of your geographical location and the species of wood flooring you are using:. If the job site is normalized to an in-use reading for your region and the subfloor and the wood flooring moisture wood flooring less than 76 mm wide is within 4 points of each other, the flooring is acclimated and ready for installation.

Once the job site is ready and the wood flooring has been delivered, the time it will take to acclimate wood flooring will depend on:.

Imported species or tropical species typically require more time to acclimate because of higher density and oil and resin content. It is highly recommended that you measure the moisture content of wood immediately after delivery to establish a baseline.

The most efficient way you can record accurate wood moisture content and representation is to check and measure the moisture content of 40 boards for every 1, square feet. The main thing we need to accomplish is to keep the environment as close to the living environment as we can. Wagner Meters is the most respected moisture meter company in the world, providing flooring professionals with quality handheld devices that help establish a baseline and gather additional moisture measurements you can record and keep an eye on.

Wagner Meters carries various wood moisture meters and concrete moisture meters that take the guesswork out of the acclimation process by providing accurate moisture readings you can depend on. These meters are the most valuable instruments used in the acclimation process. They measure the moisture content of the subfloor, concrete and the moisture content of the wood flooring to be installed. These measurements will provide you with precise and accurate conditions that will help eliminate flooring failure if conditions are not suitable.

Moisture measurements will also help you decide if the subfloor or concrete at the job site are dry enough to receive wood flooring. A jig saw will enable you to cut custom shapes into your wood flooring planks. Skip to content Does engineered hardwood need acclimation? Can you walk on engineered hardwood floors after installation?

How long does Engineered wood flooring need to acclimate? Does engineered hardwood scratch? Will engineered hardwood settle? Do engineered hardwood floors gap? What is the best underlayment for engineered hardwood floors? Is it better to glue or float an engineered wood floor? Can you lay engineered hardwood over vinyl? What is a good thickness for engineered wood flooring? What direction should engineered flooring be installed?

Is solid wood flooring better than engineered? Can you tell the difference between hardwood and engineered hardwood? Do floating engineered floors bounce?

Do engineered hardwood floors expand and contract? While engineered hardwood is more moisture-resistant than solid wood, it does still expand. Why is my engineered wood floor gapping? Which is better MDF or engineered wood? How much does engineered hardwood cost installed?

What should you put under hardwood flooring? What saw to use to cut engineered flooring? Shop Featured Holiday Categories. Home Decor. Holiday Decor. Christmas Trees. Holiday Lighting. Gift Cards. Design Dilemma. Acclimating engineered wood. Maria Burnside 6 years ago. My flooring was just delivered. The delivery men would not bring it into the house because of "insurance issues".

The boxes are in the garage and the end of the week weather calls for increased heat and humidity here in California. Should the boxes be brought into the house? The install is next week Email Save Comment Featured Answer. Amanda 6 years ago. You want the wood to acclimate to the house and preferably the room that it is going to be installed in. Like 2 Save. Sort by: Oldest. Newest Oldest. Maria Burnside Original Author.

Like 1 Save. We are getting ready to install new wood flooring. I really wanted solid, but where I live most of the local stores don't even carry it.

I was told by multiple flooring sales staff that it is because most of the foundations where I live, including ours, are slab.

If we didn't do one of those methods, we would void the warranty. We were also told that it could be glued to the foundation, but that in our area foundations move a lot and that we would have a lot of problems with a glued floor.

In the end, we gave up on solid and our engineered floor will be installed next month. I will also mention that it is very hot where we live, so Steve's reasoning might be at play, too, but no one else mentioned it. If you put too much padding underneath the flooring does not lay properly and has too much movement , better to get the best under padding you can get and just one layer. We have laminate that looks like slate and we have 2 huge dogs and kids in and out of a pool and we entertain a lot ,ladies with high heels etc and almost 8 yrs.

Actually, it depends on your heat source and the kind of radiant heat you are using. Some radiant systems run very high water temperatures and can age the flooring quickly, and unevenly, damaging the flooring itself.

We have instructions on how to install bamboo over our products. Also, check out a product called 'Plyboo' — they have pretty great stuff that may work for you they are warrantied over our products. Wide plank hardwood when properly acclimated , and engineered wood are generally not a concern with radiant any more. Carpeting has traditionally been unwise because systems did not have the power to generate enough heat to penetrate carpeting and into the home.

Some newer products ours for example , do not struggle with carpeting at all.