Why Floors Fail: The Missing Step - Acclimation of Flooring

Part 2

Acclimation (or acclimatisation) of laminate or vinyl flooring is the vital conditioning of the flooring material to the humidity and temperature that it will experience during occupancy. Most manufacturers require the cartons of flooring to be acclimated for 48 to 72 hours prior to installation. OK but why?

Here's an extreme case but it makes the point. A 40 story tower was being constructed in Dubai. It was August, average daily temperature was 40 degrees C and humidity was over 56%. The building was nearing completion when they installed laminated flooring throughout. A week later as the finishing touches were being done they turned on the air conditioning. Within a matter of days every floor failed! As the temperature dropped to a comfortable 20 degrees and the humidity plunged to 27% the planks shrank, creating gaps, becoming loose and warping. The flooring in the entire tower had to be replaced.

The why?
Flooring material needs to be acclimated in the area of installation at the humidity and temperature it will normally experience. This takes time. If the laminate or vinyl is to be installed in a lounge, acclimation of the flooring should take place in the lounge. Storing the laminate flooring in the garage is not acclimation even if the garage is attached. 

When a floor acclimates the product is adjusting to the humidity of the area of installation.

All wet work in the area of installation such as plastering and painting should be completed prior to the start of acclimation.  All windows and doors must be installed prior to the start of acclimation. The heating and air conditioning system must be operational at or near occupancy levels. If installing over concrete the concrete should be tested for acceptable humidity levels for the installation of the laminate.

When a floor is not acclimated prior to installation it can be hard to click together chipping or damaging the edges of the planks. A floor that is not acclimated to its environment is more likely to experience problems such as expansion, tenting, squeaking and buckling after installation. 

All wood, including HDF, is porous on a microscopic level, even though it may look quite solid. These tiny openings allow air inside the core, carrying with it whatever humidity there may be. The more humid the air, the more likelihood that planks will swell; the less humid the air, the more likelihood the planks will shrink. While this swelling or shrinking may be very slight, it could be just enough to cause otherwise snug locking systems to buckle or gap across the floor.

Acclimating allows the planks to become unified in the temperature and humidity that is identical to the conditions found in the room in which they will be installed. Once acclimated, the planks will be uniformly conditioned and the locking system will not be compromised. So you can see why acclimation is so important. In fact, skipping the proper acclimation process will void your guarantee.

The how.
Place the cartons in the middle of the floor, laying each box flat, side-by-side or across each other like a logs on a campfire in the room in which they will be installed. Keep them away from the exterior walls. Allow them to sit a minimum of 48 hours before installation. When the humidity in the room exceeds 60 percent, laminate boards expand and push against each other. This may cause noticeable ridges along the seams, called cupping, or bulges in the middles of the boards, called crowning. When the humidity falls below 30 percent, on the other hand, the boards shrink and the joints may separate, leaving gaps between them. 

In Part 3 Why Floors Fail: When to screed

Download our laminate and vinyl brochures or browse our website. Scroll down to "Lamadeira" here.

For any other inquiries about laminate & vinyl flooring please send us an email.