How to Avoid Gapped or Cupped Hardwood Floors

These hardwood floors are getting the airflow necessary to acclimate

Why do some hardwood floors cup or gap over time, while other floors stay flat?

The Hardwood Installer tells us a story about two identical situations and the benefits of acclimation.

Imagine waiting ten years to finally install hardwood floors only to have them shrink or cup.

Hardwood floors expand and contract depending on the environment, so installers acclimate the hardwood floors before installing.

What’s Acclimation?

Acclimating means to get the hardwood floors use to the environment. The climate in which your hardwood floors are delivered may not be the same environment that your floors are going to be in the rest of the year.

If your floors are being delivered on a damp day, they’ll absorb the moisture in the air and that could lead to cupped floors later on and gaps.

Stack your hardwood floors like the above picture and acclimate for around 72 hours.

Do you have any experiences with your hardwood floor installation?  Leave a comment and let us know how it went!