Prefinished Flooring – Prefinished Hardwood Flooring

The number one cause of complaints for any hardwood floor is moisture; either too much or not enough. Moisture related problems are most evident when dealing with solid products as opposed to their engineered counterparts.

Solid wood floors are kiln dried to a moisture content of 6-9% at the factory. This moisture content may be ideal for some homes and/or climates, but in most cases the wood will need to acclimate to its new environment. If the environment is dry then the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of the flooring may be lower than 6%, if it’s a moist environment then the EMC may be higher than 9%. Without proper acclimation and a constant interior climate these differences will produce excessive movement of the individual boards.

When the environment is dry a solid wood floor will contract or shrink. This will typically result in unsightly cracks between the boards. These cracks can vary in size depending on the width of the boards. For example, a 3” wide floor will not shrink as much as a 5” board will. A dry interior climate can be due to low humidity and/or excessive heating.

When the environment is moist a solid wood floor will expand or swell. When this happens the boards are pushed against each other and will start to peak at the seams; this is called cupping. In extreme conditions the boards may lift off of the floor and buckle. A damp interior climate can be due to high humidity and/or a source of excessive moisture, i.e. water in the crawl space, wet subflooring & framing, or damp mopping.

There are numerous factors that cause solid wood floors to expand and contract and it should be noted that seasonal expansion and contraction is considered normal for all wood floors. Proper acclimation and adequately dry substrate materials are critical prior to installation. During install and after, a constant, regulated interior climate is also crucial. This can be achieved by installing a humidity control system in the home along with air conditioning.