Building your dream home can be fun and stressful all at the same time! After months of planning, the finished product is just about complete including the installation of all your flooring. It’s the middle of winter and since you won’t be officially moving in for another month or so, you set your thermostat to 60 degrees because there is no sense in paying for a high electric bill to heat an empty house.
You are just about ready to move in and while doing a final walkthrough of your new home, you see gaps in your flooring. That little bit of money you tried to save on your electric bill just cost you thousands of dollars of flooring repairs. You then find out that none of these repairs are covered by the flooring manufacturer’s warranty since this was an issue caused by negligence. Don’t let this happen to you!
Protect your flooring investment by always following the manufacturer’s recommendation for temperature control. We recommend to set your heat to a minimum of 65 degrees in the winter, but double check with your flooring manufacturer. Hardwood and vinyl plank expand and contract with changes in temperature. Not to mention if you have glue down vinyl plank, the glue can even lose its bond if the temperature in the home is too cold! Temperature accumulation is also important in the summer months as well. Too much humidity in the home can damage your flooring so it’s important to keep your air conditioner running if you live in warm, humid environments.
Even before your flooring is installed, we recommend to have your flooring acclimated to your home temperature at least 3 days prior to installation. If your home temperature dramatically changes such as turning the heat down in the winter when you leave town and then turning it up by 10 degrees as soon as you get back, that sudden change in temperate can affect your flooring. Even just a slight 5 degree difference can alter your floors. Always pay attention to the manufacturer’s recommendation even after installation! This is especially important in new-home builds. It can be very tempting to keep the temperature really low or really high to avoid energy bills when you’re not even living in the home yet, but the damaging effects on your flooring will far outweigh the electric bill.
For more information about pre or post-installation recommendations, visit the professionals at The Carpet Shoppe!
