When is the Best Time to Install Hardwood Floors?
Original article found on FloorQuest.net

It can take time for a home improvement project to take flight–from budgeting, picking your paint colors, selecting materials and finishes, planning layouts, and scheduling professional help like hardwood flooring installation, there are so many steps to completing a successful renovation. But did you know that you should factor the season into your home improvement plans? You should ask yourself questions like “When is the best time to install hardwood floors?” in order to protect your investment.
Seasonal temperatures can affect when certain projects are best done. If you’re planning a home renovation and looking for new flooring, fall is the perfect time for hardwood flooring installation.
Moisture in Spring and Summer
Though hardwood floors can be installed throughout the year, the cooler temperatures make autumn an ideal time for you schedule your hardwood flooring installation, especially if you live in a particularly humid climate. Like any other organic or natural product, wood also absorbs moisture because it is highly porous. If the hardwood flooring installation is done either in the summer or the spring, then your floors might become vulnerable to distortion, as these seasons have the highest humidity levels. Fall is a perfect season for hardwood flooring installation because the cool, crisp weather exposes your hardwood flooring to less moisture.
In Winter, Your Home Loses Moisture
Aside from the possible inconvenience of having your home out of commission during the holiday season, winter is not the most ideal time Because of the drying effect of the heating units or the lower moisture levels, winter is a less ideal time for hardwood flooring installation. If your floor has absorbed any moisture at the time of hardwood flooring installation, then gets dried up during the winter, the swollen floorboard could get pulled apart. This damage is known as the cupping effect.

Hardwood floor installation done during the fall helps in minimizing this cupping effect. If the hardwood floors are installed during the fall there is less risk of floors absorbing moisture and the dry air of your heaters will have hardly any effect on the wooden planks.

Ideal Temperatures for Adhesives Used in Hardwood Flooring Installation
Adhesives are sometimes used in hardwood flooring installation, and many of these require a home’s temperature to be between 70º and 80º. In the summer, air conditioning will probably put your home outside of this range, while in the winter, cooler temperatures might prevent the drying and bonding of your hardwood floors.
Hardwood flooring will add warmth, elegance, and beauty to any home. Now that you know when is the best time to install hardwood floors, schedule your hardwood flooring installation this fall and impress your extended family over Thanksgiving dinner!