How Long Should Hardwood Floors Acclimate?: A Designer’s Guide to Perfectly Prepped Hardwood Floors

If you're planning to install new hardwood floors, one crucial—but often underestimated—step stands between you and a flawless result: acclimation. Homeowners, DIYers, and even seasoned pros sometimes rush this process, leading to unwanted warping, gaps, or buckling later on. So, how long do hardwood floors need to acclimate, and what should you watch for?

From my years designing and working with floor installations, I've seen firsthand how proper acclimation saves stress (and costly repairs) down the road. Let's break down the essentials and some real-life tips you can use right now.

Project Planning: What is Hardwood Floor Acclimation?

Acclimation is the process of letting your hardwood planks adjust to the humidity and temperature of your home before installation. This allows the wood to reach a balance with its environment, helping it stay stable after it's been laid down. If you're using a room layout tool to plan your project, don't forget to account for acclimation time in your timeline.

Industry guidelines (including the National Wood Flooring Association) recommend hardwood floors acclimate for 3–5 days, but the exact time can vary. Factors like wood species, plank thickness, your home’s climate, and recent weather swings matter. In humid regions, or if your house just had new drywall or concrete, 7–10 days may be necessary.

Choose the Right Tools & Environment

The environment you acclimate in is as important as the time. Always acclimate hardwood in the rooms where it will be installed—never in a garage or basement with wildly different conditions. Keep your HVAC running and aim for 60–80°F temperature and 35–55% relative humidity (per ASID guidelines).

I’ve seen beautiful floors ruined because the boards ‘breathed’ in the wrong environment. If you’re prepping multiple rooms or using 3D visualization tools, make a note to log temperature and humidity data for each area you’ll be working on.

Common Mistakes & The Fix: Lessons from the Field

Let me share a quick story: A client in Austin once received their hickory planks during a July heatwave, stacked them in an air-conditioned garage, and installed them right away. Within weeks, gapping and squeaks appeared everywhere. The issue? They had acclimated to the garage's cool, dry air—not the home’s real environment.

Always unbox the planks and spread them out for airflow. Stack them with spacers in the installation area. If your project stretches beyond floor plans—a whole home or new addition—make sure each room gets its own stack and monitoring. Utilizing a digital floor planner can help schedule and visualize this step, especially on larger projects.

Level of Detail & Time: How Long is Long Enough?

For most prefinished or engineered hardwood, 3 days is the minimum. Solid hardwood often needs 5–7 days, especially during high humidity or after construction. Some exotic species may even need up to two weeks.

Don’t rely on time alone: use a moisture meter—flooring pros check both the wood and the subfloor. The difference between the two shouldn’t exceed 2–4%, depending on the plank width. Need a fast reference? Check the highlights below.

Wood TypeRecommended Acclimation Engineered Hardwood3–5 days Solid Hardwood5–7 days Exotic/Thick Planks7–14 days Case Study: Proper Acclimation for Peace of Mind

In a recent Colorado cabin remodel, we scheduled acclimation at the same time as kitchen deliveries—a simple move that allowed us to track everything together. The flooring sat unboxed, stacked with spacers for 7 full days while the HVAC ran round the clock. We checked moisture on days 5 and 7, confirmed everything stabilized, and the client’s maple floors looked flawless, even after the first winter.

FAQ

1. How long should hardwood floors acclimate before installation?
2. Most hardwood floors need 3–7 days, depending on wood type and environment. Engineered planks may settle in 3 days, while solid or exotic species should have at least 7.
3. What happens if I skip acclimation?
4. Skipping or rushing acclimation can cause the hardwood to warp, gap, or even buckle once it's installed and exposed to your home's conditions.
5. Can I stack hardwood in the garage for acclimation?
6. No—always acclimate in the room where the planks will be installed, with temperature and humidity stable and matching your HVAC settings.
7. Do I need to unbox hardwood planks during acclimation?
8. Yes—remove packaging and stagger/space the planks so air flows across all surfaces, helping them adjust evenly.
9. How do I know if my hardwood is ready to install?
10. Use a moisture meter. The difference between subfloor and plank moisture should usually be under 4% for standard installations.
11. Is there a difference between engineered and solid hardwood acclimation?
12. Yes—engineered floors are more dimensionally stable and typically acclimate faster, while solid planks are more affected by humidity.
13. What’s the best room temp/humidity for acclimation?
14. 60–80°F and 35–55% humidity, per the National Wood Flooring Association and ASID.
15. Can I speed up the process with fans or dehumidifiers?
16. Only use your home’s regular HVAC—fans or dehumidifiers can cause uneven acclimation or overdrying.
17. Should I plan for this time in my renovation project?
18. Absolutely. Use a floor plan creator or project tracker to build in acclimation time so your project stays on schedule.
19. What if my area just had new drywall or concrete poured?
20. Wait at least 30 days after any major wet trades before acclimating your floor—residual moisture can skew the process and hurt your floors.
21. Can acclimation be skipped for prefinished or click-lock floors?
22. No—even prefinished boards expand or contract and should acclimate! Never skip this step for any wood product.