By Ray Darrah
Cali-Floor Technical Services
916-760-8030
About the author.

Building and material acclimation has become a major issue in Wood and Timber Flooring. Inferior wood flooring products imported from China, Brazil, Argentina and Indonesia have found the need to “Acclimate the home to the needs of the wood flooring” and requiring Relative Humidity Levels not sustainable to maintain the Manufacturer’s Warranty.

There is a complete science to this topic but because we are trying to help consumers recognize the problem, we’ll keep the article simple and to the point. Our purpose is to give consumers enough information to know when they are being scammed.

Customarily and historically Hardwood Flooring was placed inside an already acclimated building for purpose of acclimating the wood to the home environment. A perfectly acclimated wood floor would be acclimated to the “Average” Relative Humidity conditions of the home. For Example: Summers find the average Relative Humidity in Orlando Florida to be 80% and winter time at 40%. This means we want to acclimate the wood to the relative humidity of 60%.
In the Desert of Arizona and New Mexico have low Relative Humidity of 10% and highs of 35% leaving the average at about 22%.
In areas of cold winters and hot, humid, summers, the range of Relative Humidity may be 10% in the winter to 70% in the Summer leaving the average at 40% relative humidity.

So why this long explanation about Relative Humidity and Acclimation? Many importers are requiring the Home to be acclimated and stable and not go below 30% (some instructions found require 35% Relative Humidity), and not to rise above 50% (some we‘ve found with a maximum of 55%). In other words, should your home not maintain these parameters of required relative humidity within the home, you have NO WARRANTY. That is the scam and the Manufacturer/Importers way out of paying for product failures leaving customers with thousands of dollars in financial losses. No home in the United States or Canada can maintain interior conditions, year round, to meet the conditions required of these Manufacturers.

True Flooring Professionals sell and install quality products and acclimate the wood flooring to the Ambient Conditions of the home to minimize gapping in the low relative humidity cycles and edge raise in the high cycles all homes endure. The purpose of acclimating wood is to minimize gaping and edge raise only, yet theseScammer type importers and retailers are using the 30% to 50% Relative Humidity Rule to walk away from product failures such as splitting, delamination cupping and more.

What do you do when you find your wood flooring splitting, raising on the edges or splintering? Your first, and best choice, is to hire a trained and Certified Inspector which can be found at www.FloorReports.com or hire a National Flooring Inspection Service should you not feel comfortable choosing the inspector at www.QuestInspect.com.

Before you purchase Wood Flooring, read the Maintenance and Building Requirements as well as the Installation Standards. You are also welcome to ask questions and seek advice at our Flooring Help Desk