72
(800) 525-BR111(2711)
•
Fax (800) 577-2711
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www.br111.com
(continued)
8/30/04
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STEP 2: EQUALIZING HARDWOOD FLOORING
Wood is a porous material with a natural cellular structure that expands and contracts depending on the amount of relative
humidity present in the surrounding atmosphere. Equalizing moisture content to the job-site equilibrium point before
installation is paramount to stabilizing movement after installation.
Handle and unload hardwood flooring with care and stored within the environmentally controlled site in which it is
expected to perform. Flooring stored upon “on-grade” concrete floors should be elevated at least four inches to allow air
circulation under cartons. Hardwood flooring must acclimate for as long as necessary to meet minimum installation
requirements for moisture content. Using the equilibrium moisture content chart below, determine the proper moisture
content for the installation. Always use a moisture meter to determine where the flooring and present job-site conditions are
in relation to the projected final equilibrium point taking into account seasonal changes.
Equilibrium Moisture Content Chart
Temp. Relative Humidity, Percent
5 101520253035 4045 50556065 7075 80859095 98
30° F 1.4 2.6 3.7 4.6 5.5 6.3 7.1 7.9 8.7 9.5 10.4 11.3 12.4 13.5 14.9 16.5 18.5 21.0 24.3 26.9
40° F 1.4 2.6 3.7 4.6 5.5 6.3 7.1 7.9 8.7 9.5 10.4 11.3 12.4 33.5 14.9 16.5 18.5 21.0 24.3 26.9
50° F 1.4 2.6 3.6 4.6 5.5 6.3 7.1 7.9 8.7 9.5 10.3 11.2 12.3 13.4 14.8 16.4 18.4 20.9 24.3 26.9
60° F 1.3 2.5 3.6 4.6 5.4 6.2 7.0 7.8 8.6 9.4 10.2 11.1 12.1 13.3 14.6 16.2 18.2 20.7 24.1 26.8
70° F 1.3 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.4 6.2 6.9 7.7 8.5 9.2 10.1 11.0 12.0 13.1 14.4 16.0 17.9 20.5 23.9 26.6
80° F 1.3 2.4 3.5 4.4 5.3 6.1 6.8 7.6 8.3 9.1 9.9 10.8 11.7 12.9 14.2 15.7 17.7 20.2 23.6 26.0
90° F 1.2 2.3 3.4 4.3 5.1 5.9 6.7 7.4 8.1 8.9 9.7 10.5 11.5 12.6 13.9 15.4 17.3 19.8 23.3 26.0
100° F 1.2 2.3 3.3 4.2 5.0 5.8 6.5 7.2 7.9 8.7 9.5 10.3 11.2 12.3 13.6 15.1 17.0 19.5 22.9 25.6
From the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture “Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material”
Monitor the flooring and job-site conditions as they acclimate. If the wood is neither gaining nor losing moisture, an
equilibrium condition has been reached.
NOTE: Equilibrium points vary dramatically throughout the country, from the dry desert areas of the Southwest
to moist areas along the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, a wide range of relative humidity can be experienced
between individual job-sites within the same basic locale. Different heating/air conditioning systems can also
dramatically alter on-site relative humidity. As a result, no one fixed moisture content is right for all situations,
and it is up to the individual installer to establish the proper moisture content for each installation.
Additional information regarding equalizing exotic hardwood flooring to specific geographic regions is available upon
request, or may be obtained from our reference manual posted on-line at www
.br111.com.
Casanova
Engineered
