5/20/2008
11:08:40 PM 

This is an article, although short, writen for FLoorTekTalk.


Maintaining Building Acclimation and the Scam on Consumers of Wood Flooring

Building and material acclimation has become a major issue in Wood and Timber Flooring. Inferior wood flooring products imported from China, Brazil, Argentina and Indonesia have found the need to “Acclimate the home to the needs of the wood flooring” and requiring Relative Humidity Levels not sustainable to maintain the Manufacturer’s Warranty.

There is a complete science to this topic but because we are trying to help consumers recognize the problem, we’ll keep the article simple and to the point. Our purpose is to give consumers enough information to know when they are being scammed.

Customarily and historically Hardwood Flooring was placed inside an already acclimated building for purpose of acclimating the wood to the home environment. A perfectly acclimated wood floor would be acclimated to the “Average” Relative Humidity conditions of the home. For Example: Summers find the average Relative Humidity in Orlando Florida to be 80% and winter time at 40%. This means we want to acclimate the wood to the relative humidity of 60%.
In the Desert of Arizona and New Mexico have low Relative Humidity of 10% and highs of 35% leaving the average at about 22%.
In areas of cold winters and hot, humid, summers, the range of Relative Humidity may be 10% in the winter to 70% in the Summer leaving the average at 40% relative humidity.

So why this long explanation about Relative Humidity and Acclimation? Many importers are requiring the Home to be acclimated and stable and not go below 30% (some instructions found require 35% Relative Humidity), and not to rise above 50% (some we‘ve found with a maximum of 55%). In other words, should your home not maintain these parameters of required relative humidity within the home, you have NO WARRANTY. That is the scam and the Manufacturer/Importers way out of paying for product failures leaving customers with thousands of dollars in financial losses. No home in the United States or Canada can maintain interior conditions, year round, to meet the conditions required of these Manufacturers.


True Flooring Professionals sell and install quality products and acclimate the wood flooring to the Ambient Conditions of the home to minimize gapping in the low relative humidity cycles and edge raise in the high cycles all homes endure. The purpose of acclimating wood is to minimize gaping and edge raise only, yet theseScammer type importers and retailers are using the 30% to 50% Relative Humidity Rule to walk away from product failures such as splitting, delamination cupping and more.

What do you do when you find your wood flooring splitting, raising on the edges or splintering? Your first, and best choice, is to hire a trained and Certified Inspector which can be found at www.FloorReports.com or hire a National Flooring Inspection Service should you not feel comfortable choosing the inspector at www.QuestInspect.com.

Before you purchase Wood Flooring, read the Maintenance and Building Requirements as well as the Installation Standards.

5/26/2008
5:15:27 PM 

This problem is further compounded by the fact that most A/C and Heat units are not 'sized' properly for the home.

We had a new unit installed in our home for instance that was oversized. This meant that our home cooled much too quickly for the humidity to be drawn out of it during a running cycle.

We complained to the company that our humidity was consistently in the 60's when running the A/C. They came and replaced the fan so it would run for longer periods per cycle and this took care of the problem. Our humidity stays consistently in the 40-50's range now during the hot Florida summers.

The point is, do most homeowners understand the nature of humidity? In the case of A/C and heat units, bigger is not necessarily better.

5/26/2008
10:37:43 PM 

Fortunately we had a high-end laminate installed. It actually has a moisture guarantee.

Before I purchased it, I put a sample in a bucket of water (manufacturer recommended this) overnight and it came out with absolutely no damage whatsoever.

5/27/2008
6:48:38 AM 

and thus the reason for "acclimating" a home with air or heat on prior to installation of flooring materials.

5/27/2008
1:40:10 PM 

I agree there is more then the heat and air being on that needs to be looked at before installing the wood. Just one issue I have seen is painters having all the doors open all day the day before and after the flooring went in.

Selva I would never take anything of your's or anyone else and put my name on it,never have nor never will.

FD

5/27/2008
5:05:15 PM 

Just teasing Roland,,,more Ray than you but David says I can't pick
on Ray so I had to include you to keep out of trouble!

slt

5/27/2008
8:18:58 PM 

Roland,
enjoyed your presentation at the convention,,,,I tried to get up to
the front to meet you, but, I got sidetracked by a few people
picking on me!
then, the next guy, later that day, was the dude from VA.
TEch,,,got real interesting for me because I was sitting beside a
Ph.D wood scientist/engineer....so, I never did get a chance to
meet you, but, I have enjoyed your articles over they years,

so, sorry, but when I want to tweak Ray and David says we can't
do our favorite thing, which is argue, is it ok with you if you I
say ray/roland when I really just mean, ray??? hey guys, I am just
playing and having fun,,,will behave.

5/29/2008
1:10:42 AM 

5/27/2008 2:04:01 PM

Why shouldn't a manufacture protect its product with a warranty designed and written to keep it's product safe from excessive or inadequite mositure levels?

(came here looking for a job, all I found were plumbing jobs)

5/29/2008
4:12:58 PM 

"Define the moisture levels you descibe. Excessive or inadequate moisture.

What exactly is moisture in your argument?"

The same one your using.

5/30/2008
12:57:08 AM 

Arn't you the guy who said there is condensed water in wood vessels?