Acclimating Laminate Wood Flooring

What conditions are critical to correctly acclimate your laminate flooring.

Acclimating laminate wood flooring.

Acclimating is the pre installation process of letting flooring materials become accustomed to the environment where they will spend their life. Some manufacturers may even recommend a week long acclimation period. Acclimate hardwood flooring like a pro. Acclimating and installing your laminate floor is pointless in an open environment i e with open windows or exposed framed.

Generally you should place laminate planks in the specific room where they will be installed for at least 48 hours before installing. Laminate flooring isn t exactly wood but it s made of a wood byproduct and it undergoes expansion and contraction with fluctuating humidity. Many will find out the hard way. Between 5 and 10 days ahead of time check to see if the temperature and humidity of the space is at normal living conditions.

Acclimating your laminate flooring is one of those areas that first time laminate diyists sometimes believe to be unnecessary. From the moment you finalize your purchase there are a few things you need to do to ensure quality installation. A new laminate floor is often part of a room makeover or addition where new paint and new heating is a factor. Storing the laminate flooring in the garage is not acclimation even if the garage is attached.

The flooring material needs to be acclimated in the area of installation. Vinyl plank flooring has become common among homeowners and property managers due to their versatility and durability. It therefore needs a period of acclimation in the. Make sure the room or level where the flooring will be laid is an enclosed space.

Sadly some flooring dealers will tell you that you don t have to acclimate laminate floors. Like hardwood flooring laminate floors need a little tlc along the way. The shaded area indicates the generally recommended range for wood flooring 6 and 9 percent emc which occurs when temperature is 60 80 fahrenheit and 30 50 relative humidity. Once your laminate flooring arrives you should research the manufacturer s specific instructions regarding acclimation.

The company that manufactures the laminate flooring that you have purchased will likely provide you instructions on how best to lay there flooring they will also provide in depth instructions on how to acclimate the flooring before use. The most critical condition is that the indoor environment be stable and constant. This means that if the laminate is to be installed in the family room acclimation of the laminate flooring should take place in the family room. At 70 fahrenheit a relative humidity of 25 percent gives an equilibrium moisture content emc of 5 percent and a relative humidity of 75 percent gives an emc of 14 percent.