

DIY Enquiry: How long should I leave new pine floorboards in my house to acclimatise before fitting them?

I am taking delivery of new floorboards tomorrow to replace the tatty floorboards in my bedroom. I know you have to leave them for a period of time before nailing them down but I don’t know how long.

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10 Responses to “DIY Enquiry: How long should I leave new pine floorboards in my house to acclimatise before fitting them?”

  1. mjpxyz said:

    you shouldn’t have to leave them for any length of time – they are inside so they won’t weather it’s not like a house frame that needs to be weathered so that the timber shrinks

  2. blakki4444 said:

    It will tell you on the box- normally 24 to 48 hours leave them in the room where you are going to lay them

  3. yaska said:

    I know with laminate and stick tiles it is 24 hours but don’t know about pine floor boards. However, there must be an instruction sheet with them or a phone number from the manufacturer, so to be safe you can call and find out what they recommend.

  4. DIY Doc said:

    With all due respect; I agree with what # 1 says.

    First of all; if the lumber is specific to flooring; it should have been cured/dried/and milled before it ever got to you. The fact that it’s flooring, and a higher profit level product for the vendor should mean it was NOT stored outdoors; under a Tarp; in some damp warehouse; etc.

    I also would want to assume that a decent vendor might have expalined any What If’s before you paid.

    If the wood isn’t install ready when it reaches your house; and you absolutely fear warping; etc. then just wait.

    Steven Wolf

  5. william h said:

    It usually is around 24 to 48 hours. If you can stack them in several bundles rather than just one is better. This is done so that all the materials in the floor will expand and contract at the same when you nail them down. Don’t have to raise the heat in the room, If you can give them an extra day would’t hurt either

  6. DIYpro said:

    It really depends on the difference in humidity between the lumber and inside your home. But in any case, three days should be sufficient.

  7. Michael H said:

    If you are in the UK, i have to disagree with all the above answers !

    Floorboards in the UK will come at about 12-15% humidity, in a house they will go down to 5%. You can loose 5 mm on a 150mm board quite easily.

    If you plan to lay with carpet, the boards can be put in place after a week – stack them indoors with small bits of wood between. Ideally, SCREW the boards down with 2 screws on every joist. It’ll be hundreds of screws but produce a really solid job.

    If the boards are to be left exposed you will want to hold them in place with hidden nails by nailing down next to the toungue. I’d leave these in the warm, dry house for a few weeks at least.

    me: seen people lay some floors that look fantastic………for a week, and them all the toungue split and the board gaps open up and they creak for 20 years.

  8. the f said:

    Must be left for a week. stack them with space between them to let them dry evenly and rotate them. Its a pain but worth the effort . Keep them away from radiators or other sources of Heat whilst drying out. Aim for a moisture content of 4 – 5 %

  9. 747pilot said:

    They should sit in the same general area where they will be installed. About 24 to 36 hrs should do it. Depending on how the weather is in you area. If the weather is changing (going from very hot to very cold as with a cold front) you may need more time as the wood was sitting in a hot truck. It pays to do so, it will be a better floor.

  10. alan r said:

    hi its six weeks


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