Wood Flooring Considerations 

Waste 

Add 10-15% additional square feet depending on wood type. 

Acclimation 

Prior to bringing in the flooring, establish consistent living conditions at the job site. Ensure air conditioning or heating systems have been running for at least 5 days and establishing an environment of 60-75 degrees at 35-50% relative humidity. If air conditioning is not installed, use fans and dehumidifiers to achieve normal living conditions.  

Upon delivery, check wood flooring moisture content with a moisture meter to establish a baseline for acclimation. Be sure to check the content of multiple boards. Do not store wood flooring at the jobsite under uncontrolled environmental conditions. Garages, and exterior patios are not acceptable areas to store wood flooring. 

Flooring should be allowed to acclimate for a minimum of 72 hours or until conditions are at normal occupancy conditions and meet minimum installation requirements for moisture content. For most installations, we recommend a climatic temperature between 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 30% to 50% humidity level. Environments that do not meet these criteria would be considered non-compliant and will cause wood to experience shrinking and swelling issues that damage the product. We cannot guarantee or warranty our products' performance in such an environment.   

Properly acclimating wood floors is dependent on the amount of moisture in the wood relative to the moisture content of the surroundings. We recommend following the NWFA’s acclimation guidelines for your specific job site conditions.  

Work Site Prep  

Do not install wood flooring until all concrete, masonry, plastering, drywall, texturing and painting primer coats are complete. 

If you are installing on concrete, wood flooring requires either a subfloor or direct glue. (Please refer to NWFA Guidelines as installation is site specific.) We recommend engineered floors for radiant heat. 

Moisture 

For most installations, we recommend a climatic temperature within 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 30% to 50% humidity level. 

Test for moisture at several locations in the room – a minimum of 20 per 1,000 square feet – and average the results. Check moisture content on subfloors (wood or concrete). 

Finish 

A light sanding / screening is required on reclaimed patina floors and a full sand on clean face floors to remove mill marks and over-wood. 

Reclaimed features may include color/grain variation, nail/knot holes, checking, insect scarring/worminess and other post-consumer characteristics. Floors may require filling holes as needed subject to customer aesthetic with epoxy (various colors available, inquire on recommendations).