A frequent question we get asked is does engineered wood flooring need to acclimatise prior to it being installed. We have detailed some information below in regards to our engineered wood flooring. If you have already purchased engineered wood flooring from another supplier we would recommend speaking to your supplier for specific advice.
Most of our engineered floorboards are supplied boxed and the boxes wrapped in plastic. The boards within the boxes will have a low moisture content and would be ready to fit in a dry property. However acclimatising hardwood flooring has always been recommended and is still considered good working practice.
The first thing to consider when you acclimatise a wooden floor is the conditions of the room that the boards are acclimatising to. It’s very important that this room is dry and has the conditions of a ‘normal lived in property’ with a relative humidity between 45-65%. More damage than good can be caused if you let the board acclimatise into a damp atmosphere. Make sure everything in the room has completely dried such as concrete screeds, plastering etc before acclimatising any flooring. It is also important that if you have under-floor heating set within a new screed, the underfloor heating is turned on (following suppliers instructions) before any flooring is fitted or left to acclimatise. You can often find that when underfloor heating is turned on for the first time moisture can be driven up and out of the floor. You do not want this moisture being absorbed by your wooden floorboards. Seek professional advice to test the moisture content of your subfloor or assess yourself using a moisture content meter if you feel comfortable doing so.
Once you are happy that the room is dry and the flooring can be acclimatised you will need to open the boxes to allow the boards to breath. It is best if you can completely open the boxes and lay the boards out. It is recommended that you allow the boards to acclimatise for a minimum of 48-72 hours.
If you take delivery of your flooring and it has to be stored for a period of time, this is not a problem. The boxes can be left in a dry indoor location including garages, outbuildings etc. Make sure the boxes don’t get wet and we would recommend keeping them off the floor (on a pallet or on bearers). Boxes should also be stacked flat on top of one another and not stored for long periods of time leant up against something / stood on end. Once you’re closer to the flooring being fitted the boxes can then be brought into the room they’re to be installed in and acclimatised as above.
If you have any further questions on acclimatisation or any other aspect of the preparation or fitting process then please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always more than happy to help.
View our Engineered Oak Flooring range here
View our Supreme 21mm thick Engineered Walnut flooring here