Acclimation OF Laminate flooring is the process of adapting/conditioning laminate planks/flooring to the environment in which it is going to be installed.
One of the widely used flooring finish in this era is laminate flooring because it looks exactly like hardwood.
Hardwood has been used by homeowners for many years, for it is one of the most prestigious floors around, but the Challenge is, that it is costly.
The structure and appearance of Laminate floors are made to feel exactly like that of hardwood floors. The good thing is that it comes at a relatively cheaper price as compared to the hardwood
Laminate flooring, just like hardwood, needs to be installed and taken care of in a different way as compared to other floors. If the right procedure of installation and maintenance is not properly adhered to, with time it starts to get damaged.
You might start noticing gaps, buckling, swelling, and stuff like that. You’ll legit realize that something is wrong with your floor.
You might not be exposing your floor to moisture but still notice these changes, chances are during installation you skipped a process known as acclimation.
What is the need for acclimation of laminate flooring?
Laminate flooring as a byproduct of wood has small microscopic holes in its structure and when moisture gets into them, it swells. It might look solid, but laminate flooring is porous.
If it is installed without being acclimatized and humidity is introduced to it, it expands and the floor starts to bulge and eventually tears off.
Acclimating your laminate flooring ensures that the planks are unified to the temperatures and the humidity of the room it’s going to be installed.
How to Acclimate Laminate Flooring
Acclimating sounds like a very complicated process, but it really isn’t. Once you purchase your boxes of laminate planks, spread them around the room a few feet from the outside wall and any heating/cooling vents.
Do not turn your air conditioner on, let them remain there at least a minimum of 48 hours prior to installation, maintaining the normal room temperature. Don’t open the boxes, keep them closed the entire time.
How do you acclimate Laminate Floors? Do’s and don’ts
To make sure the process of acclimation is successful, make sure to use this guideline. You don’t want to waste your 48 hours and still have a buckled floor.
| Do’s of acclimating laminate planks | Don’ts of acclimating laminate planks |
| Measure the moisture levels of the planks upon arrival(use a moisture meter) to determine the degree of acclimation required. | Do not keep the boxes next to external walls and any heating or cooling vents. |
| Keep the planks in the boxes. | Don’t pile the boxes during acclimation, place them side to side. |
| Use charts to calculate acclimation requirements. You will be able to accurately determine the equilibrium climate by average humidity levels and temperature range. | Do not turn on your air conditioner. Maintain the normal room temperature |
| Always seek professional assistance where necessary |
Importance of Acclimating Laminate Flooring
Acclimation will ensure that your laminate planks do not swell and buckle with changes in humidity and temperature. Skipping this process will even cause the revocation of your warranty by some laminate flooring manufacturers.
Failure to do this, you risk having excessive gaps, warping, buckling, and swelling. Acclimation is an important step that should never be skipped during laminate floor installation.
Even after acclimation, you should keep taking good care of your laminate. Acclimation does not mean the floor is totally immune to changes in humidity and temperature.
