When looking to install a wood floor you must acclimatise the product beforehand. As a natural product, wood expands and contracts with fluctuations in temperatures. This means if you don't acclimatise your floor, the boards could cause gaps, warping and or cupping which is very damaging for the aesthetic of your floor. This is why it's important to order your floor ahead of time and you should never install a wood floor without acclimatising it first.

Why Should I Acclimatise A Floor?

As previously mentioned, failure to acclimatise a wood floor will cause noticeable gaps as well as cupping and warping, which is very difficult to rectify. These damages to the floor can be expensive to fix which will cost you more money long-term than if you take the time to wait until the floor is ready to be installed. It's better to be safe rather than sorry, so continue reading to find out more about acclimatising a floor.

How Do I Acclimatise A Floor?

Firstly, never leave your floor in a storage room such as a garage or outside space when it arrives. You should always place the floor in the room it is intended to be installed. For this, you will need to stabilise the temperature on your property. All this means is using your central heating or air conditioning as normal for five days before your floor arrives. This causes the environment in your property to normalise and your floor will therefore be introduced a stable temperature. When the floor arrives safely lay the packs, unopened, in their installation room in stacks so that air and humidity can be ventilated evenly. Make sure you stack the packs so that every half a metre is supported, this avoids packs in the middle bowing and causing the planks to dip and or bend, making them virtually unusable.

 

solid wood floor with white arm chair, wooden table and house plants Credit: Unsplash

 

Do I Need To Acclimatise Floors That Aren't Solid Wood?

Yes, you should acclimatise any flooring. This includes engineered wood laminates and vinyl flooring. Customers can sometimes assume that floors that aren't solid wood don't need acclimatising, but they do, otherwise, the same previously mentioned issues could occur.

How Long Do I Need To Acclimatise The Product For?

This depends a lot on the type of floor you have, as different types take different amounts of time. For a solid wood floor, it is recommended you acclimatise for seven days, engineered three to five days and laminate, as well as vinyl, needs two days. If you're unsure as to whether your floor is ready to be installed, we would recommend leaving it for an extra day to guarantee that the planks are fully acclimatised.

We always want our customers to be fully informed before they receive their floor to ensure a smooth process. If you're still unsure about the acclimatisation process our team of specialists would be happy to talk you through the process in detail.

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