moisture testing
Vancouver's climate is mostly wet and so care should be taken when installing hardwood in new construction.
Most floor failures occur because dry wood flooring has been shipped to a damp construction site. The resulting problems will arise later when the homes heating is turned on. This is when the floor will shrink and gap, leaving unsightly spaces between the boards.
Especially at risk are low lying areas such as South Vancouver and Richmond. Subfloors can look and feel dry but then prove to be wet when a professional moisture test is carried out. It is very important to avoid storing your new flooring in a room which has a subfloor with a high moisture content.
Before shipping wood flooring to site, always:
Confirm your subfloor has the recommended moisture content.
Check humidity levels in the home. Between 40 - 60% is good for most wood floor products.
Have the house heat on at 20c.
Store the wood in the areas to be installed (not the garage)
Have the house at 'lock up stage' (protected from the outside elements, windows in, doors on)
Note that a new, 3" thick, concrete slab can take up to one month per 1" of thickness to dry to the point when hardwood is recommended to be installed. Some concrete slabs may never be dry enough because they are on grade in a wet area. This would necessitate the use of a special concrete sealing product to ensure the wood floor always stays dry.
Most floor failures occur because dry wood flooring has been shipped to a damp construction site. The resulting problems will arise later when the homes heating is turned on. This is when the floor will shrink and gap, leaving unsightly spaces between the boards.
Especially at risk are low lying areas such as South Vancouver and Richmond. Subfloors can look and feel dry but then prove to be wet when a professional moisture test is carried out. It is very important to avoid storing your new flooring in a room which has a subfloor with a high moisture content.
Before shipping wood flooring to site, always:
Confirm your subfloor has the recommended moisture content.
Check humidity levels in the home. Between 40 - 60% is good for most wood floor products.
Have the house heat on at 20c.
Store the wood in the areas to be installed (not the garage)
Have the house at 'lock up stage' (protected from the outside elements, windows in, doors on)
Note that a new, 3" thick, concrete slab can take up to one month per 1" of thickness to dry to the point when hardwood is recommended to be installed. Some concrete slabs may never be dry enough because they are on grade in a wet area. This would necessitate the use of a special concrete sealing product to ensure the wood floor always stays dry.
This floor is just starting to show signs of curling or 'cupping' due to moisture entering from below
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Beware of sanding a cupped floor too soon. This diagram shows how the floor will crown after a wet cupped floor is sanded flat.
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Another example of a solid wood floor expanding and cupping due to moisture problems. Always check your subfloor is dry before shipping your flooring to site.
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Please contact us for more information 604 836 6651
