What humidity range should I keep my home at?

Aim for 35–55% relative humidity year-round. A whole-home humidifier handles winters; air conditioning or a dehumidifier handles summer extremes.

How long does hardwood need to acclimate?

Typically 3–7 days on-site, longer for solid wide plank. The wood needs to match the room, not the warehouse.

Can I put hardwood in a bathroom?

We'd rather you didn't. Powder rooms are sometimes OK with engineered hardwood and aggressive sealing at every penetration. Full bathrooms with showers — choose a different material.

My floor cupped after a leak. Can it be saved?

Sometimes — if caught fast, dried slowly under controlled conditions, and then refinished. Don't fan-dry aggressively, that often makes it worse.

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Climate & Site• 6 min read

Why does moisture cause hardwood floors to fail?

Quick Answer

Nearly every cupped, gapped, or buckled hardwood floor we've ever been asked to fix traces back to moisture — not the product, not the species, not the installer's skill. Get this section right and almost nothing else will go wrong.

Detailed Explanation

Test before you install. Always.

We test sub-floor moisture and ambient relative humidity on every job before a single board comes off the pallet. Concrete slabs get calcium chloride or RH probe testing; plywood gets pin-meter readings; the room gets a hygrometer. Without numbers, you're guessing.

Acclimation isn't optional

Hardwood needs time to equilibrate to the actual conditions of the room it's being installed in — typically several days, sometimes longer. The floor will move after install no matter what; acclimation makes sure it moves as little as possible.

Live inside a humidity range

Most premium hardwood is happiest between roughly 35–55% relative humidity. A Lower Mainland home with a furnace running hard in February can drop below 25% — that's when winter gapping shows up. A coastal summer with windows open can climb above 65% — that's when cupping starts.

The basement question

Basements (and slab-on-grade rooms) are concrete-on-ground environments. Vapour from the slab is a constant, even when the surface looks dry. We do not recommend solid hardwood below grade. Engineered hardwood with the correct vapour barrier and adhesive system is the right call almost every time.

Top 5 Mistakes

What we see go wrong, again and again.

1Not having a moisture meter — or skipping moisture testing because the sub-floor “looks dry.”
2Installing the day the wood arrives, with no acclimation period.
3Running a wood-burning fireplace all winter with no humidifier and then blaming the floor for gapping.
4Putting solid hardwood in a basement.
5Ignoring leaks (dishwasher, plant, ensuite shower) — even small slow leaks cup hardwood in weeks.

Aaron's Advice

"A good install in BC is a moisture management plan that happens to include some beautiful wood."

— Aaron, President, Cypress Hardwood Flooring

Frequently Asked Questions

What homeowners ask us most.

What humidity range should I keep my home at?: Aim for 35–55% relative humidity year-round. A whole-home humidifier handles winters; air conditioning or a dehumidifier handles summer extremes.
How long does hardwood need to acclimate?: Typically 3–7 days on-site, longer for solid wide plank. The wood needs to match the room, not the warehouse.
Can I put hardwood in a bathroom?: We'd rather you didn't. Powder rooms are sometimes OK with engineered hardwood and aggressive sealing at every penetration. Full bathrooms with showers — choose a different material.
My floor cupped after a leak. Can it be saved?: Sometimes — if caught fast, dried slowly under controlled conditions, and then refinished. Don't fan-dry aggressively, that often makes it worse.

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