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INSTALLATION OF HARDWOOD FLOORS

When shopping for your hardwood flooring you will find many different options available for purchase. One very important item to consider is how it will hold up in the Northern Nevada climate. The species of wood desired would have an impact on the cost, but not necessarily on how it will perform under traffic. Oak is the most common hardwood used. There are many other types available also, such as Cherry, Maple, Hickory, Walnut, Pine, and others.

Almost any wood is acceptable if it meets the following criteria. With hardwood the moisture content should be a maximum of 7 % when it is delivered to the job site. With softwood a maximum of 8 %. Exotic woods that come out of South America, Australia, and Africa should be milled in the United States. Often, if wood is milled at the point of origin, put into containers, and shipped to the U.S., by the time it makes it to our area the shrinkage makes much of the material unusable. The humidity levels in these other countries are much higher than what we have here in Nevada, therefore causing much shrinking and warping after shipping.

Selection of material size: Industry standards allow shrinkage of 1/64th of an inch per every 2 ¼" of width. In our dry Reno environment, the narrower the material the more stable the material. As the width of the material increases so does the potential amount of shrinkage per board. Any material wider than 5" should be screwed, glued and doweled. The dramatic fluctuations in our climate bombard the material with stress. The dramatic changes in temperature and humidity cause a tremendous amount of grain stress. This is particularly evident in the wider material. If our environment offered us a consistent relative humidity level greater than 50%, this would not be an issue.

Lack of relative humidity is the most important issue when it comes to the application of wood floors in our area. Acclimatization and proper installation of your wood flooring is the key to a quality job that will provide years of enjoyment. Northern Nevada has a climate that is not necessarily friendly to wood materials installed in homes. It is imperative that certain procedures be followed during the finish stages of the construction of a custom home. If winter conditions may have an impact, then permanent heat should be installed prior to delivery of the hardwood flooring. The materials should be allowed to acclimate to the environment for a minimum of one week prior to installation, longer if possible. After installation the material should be allowed to further acclimatize. This process can take place during the installation of other finish products in the home. The longer the floor sets installed in a controlled environment, before it is sanded and finished, the better, preferably a minimum of four weeks. Properly following these procedures will ensure the long-term stability of your new hardwood flooring.

Pearce Construction installs wood flooring in approximately 60 % of the new homes we build. For more information about wood floors please contact the experts at NORTHERN NEVADA HARDWOOD. Contact Mark Shaff at 329 6279, or visit their showroom at 330 Cheney Street, Reno Nevada
NORTHERN NEVADA HARDWOOD, nnhf.com

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PEARCE CONSTRUCTION
10415 Double R Blvd.
Reno, NV 89521
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