Hardwood Flooring Acclimation: What Is It And How Long Does It Take?

Acclimatization is defined as the process or outcome of becoming used to a new condition or to a new climate.

If we are considering an installation of new flooring made of wood, it is important to prepare enough acclimation time for the flooring. What is the reason we do this?

Wood is HYGROSCOPIC. A hygroscopic substance is one that is capable of attracting water from its surroundings via absorption or adsorption. This results in the adsorbing material becoming physically altered. If water vapor is taken in, water molecules are transferred by the molecules in the substance and changes like an increase in volume could occur.

So, what are the main tips for your hardwood flooring?

If hygroscopic substances attract and hold water molecules from their surrounding environment, they are physically altered.

Have you been physically changed? Consider how some of your doors are "stuck" in the summertime in humid conditions. The dimensions of your door have actually increased due to having a higher moisture level. The increase in moisture content of the wood has caused it to expand. This expansion has led to a noticeable increase in the size of the door. It has grown.

A similar thing happens to the individual boards on the flooring of your hardwood. In the less humid winter air, the moisture content of the wood will diminish. The wood's cells will shrink, which results in the wood shrinking in size. The same door that is stuck just a bit during summer can be opened in winter.

What do all these have in common for adaptation?

If you bring wood flooring from an industrial climate-controlled mill into an unoccupied home in August, with no functioning climate control and the wood flooring remains there for a period of time, it's going to begin to swell to accommodate the increased moisture content. The boards will expand and swell to their maximum capacity as well as their highest dimensions. They are then put in this configuration. What is going to happen after the air conditioning turns up and humidity in the home is drastically reduced? The boards will start losing their moisture content and shrink or contract. There will be gaps (spaces between the floorboards) that will never disappear.

What do we suggest to help you get acclimated properly? First, the environment in the home needs to be secluded and stable. The climate controls should be in place and operational for a minimum of five days before the wood flooring is installed. If climate controls aren't installed, waiting could delay a timeline for construction; temporary heating or AC units are able to be utilized in certain situations to simulate the typical conditions in a dwelling, but we'd rather avoid this scenario if it is feasible.

The climate controls should be in and operating during acclimation and during the installation and even after the flooring is put in. Be aware that when you make the decision to install wood flooring in your home, you're making the decision to keep the environment stable within your home!