wrote
Just talked to on hardwood guy and he said now (April) is the good
time to install wood. Because here in Calgary Alberta, we have very
dry air in the winter. And if I wait until mid summer to do it, the
gaps in winter will be larger.

So now the air is still fairly dry, it will be better to do it now
than summer.

What he said kind of make sense to me but if that's true, what about
people installing hardwood flooring in the driest months of the
winter, wouldn't the floor all buckle during mid summer?

He also said to use narrower stripe like 2 1/4" so that the
contraction and expansion are smaller.

Do you think what he said makes sense? Thanks.

He posed some concerns, but gave the wrong reasons. I would kick him to the
curb. Hardwood is installed year round, indoor humidity control deals with
the moisture content of the wood. After all, you're not installing the
floor outside in the extremes of dry/wet conditions. Smaller strips are not
used because the contraction/expansion is smaller, it's because it's less
likely to cup than a wider board because it is more stable. Wood species
reacts differently to moisture content. Some wood you want for a hardwood
is: American cherry, Oak, American Walnut, Teak, and there are more. You
want to make sure to acclimate to conditions b/4 installing. The main
concern is indoor humidity control.