The waiting game: Engineered wood

I have heard that hardwood takes at least three days to acclimate to the humidity of your home before it gets installed. What about engineered hardwood? Does that also need to be acclimated?

A complicated question

Wood flooring, whether solid or engineered, is still a natural material with a cellular structure. When it is humid, cells absorb moisture out of the air and swell. When the humidity is low, they contract back to their original size. As wood ages, it tends to do less and less because the cells become less elastic over time, but that process takes years.

Warehouses tend to have a relatively low level of humidity, but every house varies. Sometimes every room in a house can vary; so, in principle, any time you use a material like wood, it ought to spend some time in the home (or the room of the house) where it is going to be installed. This allows the wood to come to a stable humidity level that matches that of the surrounding environment.

Engineered wood floors, by its very design, has a thinner layer of material on its surface. That means that engineered flooring tends to acclimate much faster than does its solid-wood cousin. Does that mean you can install it right out of the box? Sometimes you can. For those of us in Michigan, where humidity varies throughout the year, we usually recommend engineered wood flooring acclimates in your home for a couple of days before it is installed.

A great option

With all of that said, we should point out that engineered flooring is still an excellent option for your home. It has the same characteristics and beauty as solid hardwood, but it responds better to moisture due to its plywood backing. If you are considering wood floors in Canton, MI, why not give us a call at Avita Carpet & Flooring. We have the widest selection of engineered hardwood and employ some of the best installers in the industry.

Call or stop by our showroom in Westland, MI, knowing that we also serve the broader area of Canton, Wayne, Livonia, Taylor, Romulus, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Garden City Inkster. We guarantee that you will be happy with our service, even if that means letting your new floor acclimate in your home for a couple of days before it is installed.