I am involved in a major house renovation and the client has ordered yellow pine flooring, T and G. Whne it arrived we put it in the garage and I told him that he needs to let it acclimate for a few weeks INSIDE the house after the Air conditioner has been installed and running. He wasn’t thrilled about this.
I have since found out that the vendor who sold it to him told him it is ok to install when ever you want.
Am I wrong? I thought that all solid wood will move with climate changes. I even told the client that tight joints wont be tight if we install them right away because the AC will dehumidify the house.
let me know what you think please
Replies
You're 100% right on all accounts. I can imagine the conversation between the wood vendor and the owner. "Sure, you can install it whenever you want, but it should acclimate first." Or the vendor just didn't know better. Southern Pine moves a lot whatever you do, but to go from a damp garage to an air conditioned house...ouch.
I imagine that the vendor is hearing, "You sold me a bunch of wet flooring that I can't use. Come take it back and deliver me some dry wood if you want to get paid you blankety blank..."
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Yeah, but I can also imagine the vendor gently giving proper advice and the homeowner hearing the parts they want to hear. "Sure, you CAN put it down, but it should acclimate for a couple weeks first...."
PS Watch out for the rain on the way this am! Pouring here now.
Mike Maines
I was busy unplugging all my computers eetc even with the surge supressors nd all the safety gear. The power must have cycled on and off a hundred times in fourty five miinutes here.
People all over the island had mysterious things happen with things like security systems, Automatic switches on generator setups, and our air conditioner decided to come on when the power was finally restored an hour or two later. I think my fax machine is fried. It wants to keep spitting out blank paper, so I unplugged it.
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Weird day. Ended up sunny and quite warm.
Guess what job I got assigned for Monday morning? Go look at a floor we put in a couple of years ago. SYP. 4". Gaps you can see the subfloor through. I stood there while my boss told the owner we could probably squeeze it in next week. This thread popped to mind and I strongly suggested the wood should acclimate for a couple of weeks at least.
Do you not like the Mini-Ligno moisture meter that doesn't use pins? That's all I have, seems to work fine, but I haven't used a pin-style much.
it's just that I have read in all the woodworking forums that you can't trust a surface meter as well because if the air is more humid than average, the surface will be too, and if the air is very dry that day, it can throw off the accuracy in the other way.
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I explained today to the client that the wood needs a stable enviroment to and adequate drying time. The wife told me today that this will be their vacation home and the temperature and climate will be as extreme as the outdoors because they will not be there but 1/3 of the time. From 100 degree to 40 degrees.
I feel like she should have ordered a manmade material like pergo for flooring but I did not have the heart to tell her. I did tell both of them that I wanted no part of the flooring job if they werenot going to listen to me about the acclimation.
thanks for your help
mjb
The tempurature variance means far less than the humidity swings, but it has to be dry enough when instaled to avoid shrinking.
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So that puts him in a defensive posture and we have all seen what that can do in the Tavern...LOL
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SYP flooring can make a really good looking floor, but it has its faults. One is that it is very unstable and I have never seen it delivered dry enough to install. most actually feels green - you feel the resin on the surface handling it when new. If he instals it fresh from delivery, you should inform him that it is gauranteed to shrink and leave gaps as wide as 3/16" for a three inch surface on T&G.
The retailer is a goon. Have the HO ask him for a statement to that effect in writing so he can take him to court later. it'll be fun to watch the fireworks.
no, don't start any fireworks. Just pleasantly let him know that no professional flooring installer will do as the retailer suggests. If he is worth working for, he will appreciate the professional attitude. But don't let yourself be victimized by goons giving bad advice. They have to move the product as it comes in to them from the mill and most storage is not in air cconditioned de-humidified buildings.
On my last two larger jobs, it was not possible to keep a schedule and acclimate the lumber in the same room. I have a de-humidifier that we have placed in the same garage, storage facility, basement, what ever, as the stickered lumber with a box fan moving the dryer air across the flooring. a month of that seeemed to work pretty well, but given my experience with SYP, a month would be a minimum.
There is an outside chancce that htis lumber IS OK to use as is. The only way to know is to buy a moisture gauge - not a surface tester, but one with pins. The ideal moisture level for your area may vary. I have a humid climate so 11% to 13% is fine here.
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One more thing - you might have to post armed gaurds to keep people from leaving the garage doors open or carrying in damp products and materials and laying these on top of the flooring pile or 'borrowing' your extension cord to the de-humidifier, or your hose carrying the water away from it! Getting other subs to co-operate can be frustrating to say the least.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!