Why Acclimatise Timber Flooring?

Great question! But first, what is timber acclimatisation? 

In a nutshell, timber acclimatisation is the process whereby timber floorboards are allowed time to adjust to the environment (i.e., Level of moisture) in the home before installation.

So, why do it?

Timber is a hygroscopic material (bust this out at the next Trivia night to look like a dead-set genius), meaning that it naturally adjusts its moisture content to match the weather conditions. 

Timber boards take up or lose moisture as the moisture content in the air fluctuates throughout the seasons, duly expanding and contracting over their lifespan. 

Acclimatising the individual timber boards enables them to reach the moisture equivalent of your home conditions prior to laying.

How long does it take?

Depending on the area you live, solid timber boards can require upwards of 6 weeks acclimatisation in the space they’re to be installed.

However, given the stability of Engineered Timber products, they’re less susceptible to changes in humidity and only require 48-72 hours to acclimatise.  

Engineered floorboards are constructed from layers of timber species which may acclimate at varying rates, so unlike solid timber boards, they should be left lying down in their boxes, away from direct sunlight and external walls, with just the ends and internal packaging cut to let the product breathe.

Note: in especially high humidity locations such as tropical North Queensland, where cyclonic conditions are an environmental factor, adjusting the moisture content and pre-expanding the floorboards to accommodate seasonal variations will take longer than dryer inland areas.

What happens if I don’t acclimatise my timber floors?

If not properly seasoned to your home’s unique environmental conditions the following issues may arise:

Warping – when the floorboard edge lifts and twists.

Buckling – the board pulls away from the sub floor. 

Cupping – the edges of the board curl higher than the centre, creating a cup shape.

Crowning – the centre of the board is higher than the edge, forming a bump.

If the moisture content is too high when it comes to installing your timber floor, the boards will eventually shrink, creating ugly gaps around the perimeter of the room.

For further information about acclimatising and installing our comprehensive range of engineered timber products contact our experienced team today.