If you are someone who is looking to buy hardwood flooring, do not rush! This article will give you a list of things you must know about such floors before accepting them so that you are not stuck with something that you don’t want or pay for but accidentally end up ruining. Acclimation- the hardwood must be acclimatized to its surroundings properly to last long without damage. One of the main things you should remember here is the moisture content of the wood and the subfloor, which should not differ by more than 2-4%. Before installing the wood into the subfloor, ensure it reaches room temperature 24 hours before installation. Make sure to follow the instructions given carefully about acclimatization.
- Moisture content- while each type of wood and manufacturer will have a different figure for the hardwood’s ideal moisture content, a universal average of 6-9% is considered good. If there is a huge difference in moisture levels between the wood and the subfloor, you could face sudden expansion or contraction. To avoid this, use an electronic moisture meter to measure moisture content.
- Climate control is necessary for the climate to be maintained constantly throughout the installation process for it to happen smoothly. You can employ different tactics if you want to keep the temperature in the room, and all of these can be found on the internet.
- Floating floors- when you install a floating floor, keep in mind that, as with regular wood, this will also expand and contract with temperature changes, and you should leave enough space between the floors and walls to allow this to happen.
- Expansion joints are a necessity when two rooms converge at a point. The most common type of molding used is the T type to allow for expansion and contraction.
- Moisture control- with all the emphasis on moisture content, it is obvious that the amount of moisture in the subfloor has to be controlled. The upper limit for relative humidity in the subfloor is 65%; anything higher than this can be detrimental. For moisture, your subfloor must not exceed 12%; if it does, you cannot use it.
- Glue down flooring- while it may seem logical to simply glue down the hardwood to the sub-floor, you may want to avoid this as it becomes problematic when you want to pull it out and replace it. Alternatively, glue the hardwood pieces together or install them on the subfloor using tongues and grooves.
- Nail down flooring- for this, make sure that you carefully read the instructions that come with it and even call in the help of professionals if you need to because fixing it improperly can cause permanent, irreversible damage.
- Natural variations- no hardwood pieces can be identical, which is why they are so beautiful. Work with multiple components from different boxes to space everything out to avoid anything that looks like random discoloration.
- Culled material- culled material is essentially the part of the product you don’t want to use because it is not up to the standards of the rest. When you buy material, you must account for this and buy a little extra, generally about 5-10% more than you think you need.
- Scratches- all hardwood floors are prone to scratches irrespective of what polish you use on them. You can only use furniture protectors, carpets, and rugs to protect your bed.
- Cleaning- lastly, after all of the installation, you want to ensure you maintain your hardwood floor well so it lasts long. Make sure to call in professional cleaning services and learn how to do it before you accidentally cause damage to the floor. Remember, the most important thing here is not letting the bottom get filled with too much moisture.
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Alliance Floor Source, based in Toronto, is the place to go if you need a hardwood floor installed. Experts in the field, the professionals here, will advise you on what is best for you according to your preferences.