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acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - mound - 10-08-2020

I've got 29 boxes of maple hardwood flooring about to be delivered to my house.  I understand I need to let it acclimate in the house for a week or so.. Does the wood have to be unpacked from the boxes for this acclimation? can it remain in the boxes? maybe just open the ends of the boxes?


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - fredhargis - 10-08-2020

(10-08-2020, 08:52 AM)mound Wrote: I've got 29 boxes of maple hardwood flooring about to be delivered to my house.  I understand I need to let it acclimate in the house for a week or so.. Does the wood have to be unpacked from the boxes for this acclimation? can it remain in the boxes? maybe just open the ends of the boxes?

When we had it done, they left it in the boxes. I believe that was the recommendation our daughter had when she bought hers.


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - jteneyck - 10-08-2020

(10-08-2020, 08:52 AM)mound Wrote: I've got 29 boxes of maple hardwood flooring about to be delivered to my house.  I understand I need to let it acclimate in the house for a week or so.. Does the wood have to be unpacked from the boxes for this acclimation? can it remain in the boxes? maybe just open the ends of the boxes?

It depends upon the manufacturer.  I never could understand how anything sealed in the box could acclimate but some manufacturers say that's what to do.  Others say to remove it from the box and cross stack it to allow air to circulate.  I don't see how you could go wrong following the latter approach regardless of what the manufacturer recommends.    

John


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - mound - 10-08-2020

(10-08-2020, 09:42 AM)jteneyck Wrote: It depends upon the manufacturer.  I never could understand how anything sealed in the box could acclimate but some manufacturers say that's what to do.  Others say to remove it from the box and cross stack it to allow air to circulate.  I don't see how you could go wrong following the latter approach regardless of what the manufacturer recommends.    

John

Agreed.. But taking it all out and cross-stacking might be a logistical problem given the space constraints I'm dealing with.

The hardwood has grooves on the bottom.. I suppose if the ends of the boxes were opened up, there would be some level of airflow.


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - FS7 - 10-08-2020

Thanks for reminding me how builders screw up. Our home was built through summer (it was warm and humid as it always is in Virginia) and the flooring was brought in from a warehouse and installed immediately despite large changes in temperature and humidity. The floor squeaked horribly - bad enough that the builder offered to redo it. I told them to PLEASE bring in the flooring, open the boxes, and let it acclimate. We had time and it was not a big deal.

They didn't listen. It still squeaks.


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - Snipe Hunter - 10-08-2020

If the flooring is banded, I open the boxes. If not, I band it (packing tape) while still in the box and break apart the boxes. I like to let it set a week if I can and stacked and stickered.


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - tomsteve - 10-08-2020

what does the manufacturer recommend?


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - mound - 10-09-2020

(10-08-2020, 07:49 PM)tomsteve Wrote: what does the manufacturer recommend?

The manufacturer simply states:

Acclimate 2 – 7 days for domestic (North American) species to consistent indoor temperatures of 60°-80° F and constant indoor humidity levels of 35% – 55%

It doesn't say anything specifically about "how to" acclimate, simply to do so.


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - Snipe Hunter - 10-09-2020

(10-09-2020, 08:26 AM)mound Wrote: The manufacturer simply states:

Acclimate 2 – 7 days for domestic (North American) species to consistent indoor temperatures of 60°-80° F and constant indoor humidity levels of 35% – 55%

It doesn't say anything specifically about "how to" acclimate, simply to do so.

I'd certainly lean more towards 7 than 2.


RE: acclimating hardwoods, open boxes? - jteneyck - 10-09-2020

(10-09-2020, 08:26 AM)mound Wrote: The manufacturer simply states:

Acclimate 2 – 7 days for domestic (North American) species to consistent indoor temperatures of 60°-80° F and constant indoor humidity levels of 35% – 55%

It doesn't say anything specifically about "how to" acclimate, simply to do so.

To me that implies that the wood needs to be taken out of the boxes and separated.  Most people know that KD wood left dense stacked will change very little in MC in the short term.  Only when it's stickered will it readily acclimate to a new EMC.  Your flooring is no different.  

John