DIYbanter - View Single Post - Hardwood Floor Installation: Time of the Year

wrote:
On Fri, 8 Apr 2005 14:07:09 -0400, "jstp"
wrote:

Yes, as long as you let the wood acclimatate in your house before
installation. Length of acclimatation depends on humidity difference
between
wood and environment. I let mine stand inside for one week. There
has been
some yearly shrinking every winter but it's acceptable (less than
1/16 inch
between some planks, none in most places).

Pardon my ignorance but I have question about the acclimatization of
the wood. The indoor humidity cannot be controlled precisely at the
same level all year round. The house will be drier in the winter and
less so in the summer.

So if you aclimatise the wood in the summer, it'll still shrink in
the
winter and vice versa. It's not like we are flying the wood over
from
the Amazon rainforrest and install it right away.

My question is, even if we do aclimitise the wood, it's still gonna
shirnk in the winter and expand in the summer. As long as the
humidity level is within a reasonable range, what difference is it
gonna make?

I hope it isn't rainforest wood you're looking to install. What
they're doing there is absurd.

The expansion/contraction cycle is unavoidable. You're just trying to
minimize the gaps between the boards throughout the year without
overcompensating and creating other problems.

That link that Stretch posted has good graphical depictions of what the
wood floor is experiencing with changes in moisture. I didn't think
the site had a lot to offer. Various wood and flooring organizations
have more detailed information, including shrinkage ratios based on
species.

So what's the deal with the contractor? Did you feel that he was
pressuring you into having it done right away for reasons other than
seasonal humidity timing?

R