Hardwood flooring is one of the most attractive features you can add to a home. It has a timeless beauty that will complement any style décor. Before you complete your floor installation, though, it’s important to acclimate your wood materials to the conditions of your living space. According to the professionals at JT’s Floor Refinishing in Springfield, MA, this will prevent floors from warping, cupping, and gapping. However, it must be done properly to get the desired results.

A common question that homeowners ask is how long the acclimation process is supposed to take before hardwood flooring can be installed. The correct answer doesn’t involve time, but rather climate. In particular, the humidity will be the controlling factor that determines how long your materials will need to be acclimated. This is because the purpose of acclimation is to allow floors to adjust to the humidity levels of their new environment so they can reach the point where they are no longer expanding or shrinking.

The best way to prepare your hardwood floors to acclimate is to store them in an environment with the same climate conditions as your home. When you have flooring materials delivered, don’t store them in the garage or outside; take them inside the house. Then, it’s a good idea to use a moisture meter to gauge the moisture content of the materials and compare it to that of the subfloor. When these numbers are within 3% of one another, you will be ready to move forward with your hardwood installation. The length of time this takes will be different for every homeowner.

To avoid making any mistakes that put the look and performance of your hardwood flooring at risk, it’s recommended that you leave the installation up to a flooring company. Contact JT’s Floor Refinishing at (860) 292-1806, or visit their website to learn more about caring for your wood floors.