Hardwood flooring, even after it’s been cut, milled and sealed, continues to breathe and move with its environment. Part of what makes it beautiful also makes installing it anything but routine.
Yet, one of the most persistent myths in our industry is that wood flooring can be installed the same way no matter where you are located. That’s simply not true. Regional climate is the mitigating factor, and when we ignore that, things go wrong.
Wood is hygroscopic—meaning it absorbs and releases moisture until it reaches balance with the surrounding air. When it absorbs moisture, it swells. When it dries out, it shrinks. This happens every time, on every job, regardless of the flooring quality or who installs it.
The NWFA’s C300 Regional Climate Variations guide lays this out clearly: equilibrium moisture content (EMC) varies significantly across North America. In dry zones like Arizona or Nevada, wood floors might settle at 4%–6% EMC. But in humid coastal areas or Gulf states, that number jumps to 11%–13%.
Don’t get me wrong: industry standards matter; they give us a basic framework. But they’re not plug-and-play solutions. Without context, even the best standard falls short. Local climate, jobsite conditions, HVAC systems and even the time of year all influence how a floor will behave over time.
Take acclimation, for example. Too many people still think it’s enough to leave boxes of flooring in a room for three days. But three days in a dry mountain winter isn’t the same as three days in Gulf Coast humidity. True acclimation isn’t about how long—it’s about achieving balance. The wood must reach a moisture content that reflects what it will experience long-term in that particular environment.
Many installers still use the same checklist across every project. They follow standard fastening schedules, adhesive spreads or expansion gaps as though they’re universally applicable. The truth is, they’re not. A fastening method that holds firm in Minnesota might not last in Miami.A glue-down install over slab that performs well in Southern California can fail within a year in the Southeast if installers don’t properly address slab moisture.
Often, what gets labeled a “product defect” is really a “climate mismatch.” Cupping, gapping, buckling—these are symptoms of environmental oversight. Even engineered wood, though more stable, isn’t totally exempt.
To get wood installation right, we need to think geographically, not just technically. Is this job in a dry mountain town or a humid coastal city? Is the HVAC system installed and running? Can it maintain consistent interior conditions year-round? Was the flooring delivered to a sealed, climate-controlled space or dropped into a construction site still drying out from paint?
The answers to these questions will shape the approach. Knowing when to use engineered over solid—or when to delay a job to allow for proper acclimation—isn’t a delay. It’s professionalism.
At the end of the day, it’s the responsibility of the installer/contractor to verify site conditions are suitable.
Efi Eylor is a certified NWFA inspector and founder of My Floor Inspection Inc. He writes regularly about real-world flooring failures, jobsite practices and industry accountability. For more information, visit myfloorinspection.com.
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