Wood Floors: Acclimating Raw Hardwood Flooring Before Installation

Solid Nail Down Hardwood Flooring Requires Acclimation, Engineered Wood Does Not

Installation of solid hardwood flooring with a custom finish in place is truly a contruction project. Unlinke engineered hardwood floors , raw finish in place nail down hardwood flooring requires what is called “acclimation” of the wood before the installation process begins.

It is important that the moisture content of the hardwood flooring match the moisture content of the subfloor. Ideally it should be a difference of 4% or less between the subfloor and the wood. Acclimation allows the wood to spend time in the install environment for a period of time prior to the installation so that it will be better balanced with the subfloor.

For hardwood flooring humidity in the hom should be regulated between 30% and 50% and the temperature should be kept between 60 and 80 degrees.

“Homeowners can regulate the humity of their home using their HVAC system. Optionally a humidity control system can be added to your heating and cooling system to keep your indoor humidy at optimul levels. We commonly install humidity controls in our Texas customers’ homes.”, says Michelle Solis from Superior AC & Heat, Crowley, TX HVAC professionals since 1980.

Solid Hardwood Finished in Place is a Construction Project

While engineered hardwoods can be installed in a single day, this is not possible with solid nail down custom hardwood. The acclimation process can take weeks and the installation process is time consuming also. First the floor is prepared, moisture is tested, plastic is installed, the subfloor is installed and then the wood is nailed down onto the subfloor. It is the sanded and stained. Finally multiple coats of poly are applied. Each coat must dry before the next is applied, so this takes days also. A hand scraped hardwood finish will also add time for the techncians to manually scrape the floors. Solid hardwood is certainly among the most desired and long lasting flooring materials available and it has so many advantages, but be prepared for the installation process to make it the best experience for your family.

See more hardwood flooring at Dallas Flooring Warehouse