How to Take Care of Your Hardwood Flooring After Installation
After receiving your hardwood flooring, the next step is to acclimate the new floor to adjust to its new conditions.
If you bought your hardwood floor from a wholesale wood flooring seller, then you should know that it will take about 5 -14 days before it can acclimate. At this time, what you want is for the moisture content reader to track the moisture content of the hardwood flooring and the sub-floor.
Moisture content refers to the free water amount that is still being held in your wood. Any wholesale hardwood flooring that measures four inches or wider should not have more than 2% moisture content.
The actual acclimation time should include an HVAC system left on for at least 48 hours, plus your doors and windows. The home should also not be opened during this time.
Wood and Moisture Control
The unfinished oak flooring wholesale purchase consists of a type of wood with small cells that are hygroscopic, capable of absorbing and retaining moisture.
When the wholesale hardwood flooring suppliers expose it to moisture through the bound water, or plumbing, or leaks, it, of course, absorbs this water and starts to expand.
The contraction and expansion of wood is expected, especially when the weather changes and wood is a natural material seeking to balance its surroundings.
To achieve the best presentation, the wood you buy from any wholesale hardwood flooring suppliers should be kept at between 60 and 80 degrees F. which is approx., a 35% and 55% humidity range.
Some wholesale unfinished hardwood flooring suppliers can also give you different species that have wider plank floors that are less stable, which means that they will be prone to more fluctuations.
However, most wholesale wood flooring sellers prefer Brazilian Walnut, Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Tigerwood, and Brazilian Teak. They may require you to pay a bit extra attention to the acclimation.
Our Best Tips for Managing Moisture in Your Hardwood Floors
Wholesale hardwood flooring suppliers will recommend the following tips to deal with these moisture problems;
Dehumidify in summer
Summer is full of heat, and you can imagine how much hot air will be in the air, which means more humidity. This will then cause your wood planks to start swelling, as they will be absorbing more moisture.
In these months, you may want to use a dehumidifier to control the moisture levels in your home. Check that you can maintain a relative humidity level of between 35 and 55%.
Humidify in winter
The opposite will be true in winter, which means that your floors will draw moisture and cause it to contract and shrink.
The humidifier will add some moisture to the house, keeping the humidity at an acceptable level of between 35 and 55%.
