The environmental conditions make a big difference on how well flooring material performs in its final state. With humid environmental conditions, some flooring material like hardwood will expand. In dry conditions, certain materials can contract. Hardwood flooring must acclimate before installation to minimize the range of expansion and contractions it encounters. When it comes to proper acclimation, installers must rely on the manufacturers to provide guidance.
Many areas are quite humid or quite dry, while others fluctuate between humid seasons and dry seasons. Wood flooring material is definitely affected, so installers need to acclimate the product properly. Some manufacturers prefer to have their product differently. Wood pieces can be taken out of the boxes they come in or left inside. It just depends on what the manufacturer recommends.
Incorrect acclimation can lead the hardwood to swell or shrink after installation, leaving lots of problems behind. For example, if the wood were laid down while expanded with moisture and the final location was dry, there would be big gaps left in the flooring as the panels shrank. Proper acclimation is critical for a good looking floor that holds up over many years.
The bottom line is that flooring installers must read the manufacturer’s recommendations for how to acclimate the material and for how long. It’s the best way to guarantee a problem-free installation and to ensure the client is quite pleased with the best final product.
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