What tips do you have for installing hardwood floors?

Question

I heard different things when it comes to having hardwood floors installed. Here are is one:

1. Let the wood sit in the room for at least 5 days to "cure" to the temperature of the room before installing. This will prevent buckling and allow the wood to adjust.

So what are some things that need to be careful of when having hard wood floors installed. I was looking at a home where all the hardwood floors were buckling in the house. It looked like whoever installed them didn't give room for the wood to expand so after a while the wood made room for itself.

I just want to make sure I get the right advice because my parents had hardwoods installed and the installers didn't do the 5 day wait thing. I don't know if they are going to run into any problems later. Or you hear Empire Today talk about they can install hardwoods in one day....so is that a good thing?

Also is there a better time of year to install hardwoods.

Answer 1

Letting the flooring acclimate to the home is the best way to go, especially if they are unfinished wood.  Prefinished and laminate flooring can also benefit from the cure time but aren't as susceptible to changes in humidity.

I would hope Empire is referring to carpet installation not wood flooring

Answer 2

best advice is NOT to get real hardwood floors.   Get a very high quality laminated floor, much easier to take care of and won't even scratch.  We got this one that I can't even make any dings using a key!

Answer 3

Most hardwoods need an acclimation to the environment where it is to be installed. The following are a few facts:

1. The home that had buckling may have been a result of moisture or the acclimation in the house was never maintained, ex: air conditoning may have been shut off soon after install. You must maintain environment for a long period of time.

2. Regarding your parents.  First off, maybe their wood did not need

acclimation (rare).  Second, maybe the store where they purchased product had it in acclimation (rare).

3. Regarding Empire.  Same as your parents situation.

4.  It is also possible that all situations did not have any acclimation at all. NOT A PROBLEM.  Installers would need to remove all perimeter moldings and then cut back flooring and then replace perimeter moldings.

Suggestion - do not take short cuts and follow manufacture instructions.

Good Luck.