Flooring Answers: Tech Facts – Flooring Material Storage
Picture this: You’ve spent weeks agonizing over flooring samples, finally settling on the perfect shade of hardwood to transform your project. The boxes arrive, and you’re practically giddy with anticipation. But wait! Before you unleash those planks, have you thought about where they’ll be living until installation day?
Improper flooring material storage can turn your dream floors into a warped mess faster than you can say “DIY fail.” It’s like baking a cake and leaving it out in the rain – the end result just won’t be pretty. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you avoid a flooring fiasco!
The Goldilocks Zone: Temperature & Humidity
All flooring, whether it’s tile, hardwood, carpet, or resilient, is sensitive to temperature and humidity. Like Goldilocks – it needs conditions that are just right. Too hot, too cold, too humid, and your flooring may warp. The ideal storage environment is a cool, dry space, like a climate-controlled warehouse. Aim for a temperature between 65-75°F and a humidity level of 35-55%.
Unboxing: The First Step to Happy Floors
Those shipping pallets, cradles, and shrink wrap did a great job protecting your flooring during its journey, but they’re not meant for long-term storage. Think of them as a baby’s swaddle – essential at first, but you wouldn’t keep your kid wrapped up forever! Remove all shipping materials as soon as your flooring arrives to prevent warping or indentations.
Sheet Resilient Flooring: Roll with the Punches (But Store Them Upright!)
Rolls of vinyl and some types of rubber flooring are like moody teenagers – they need their space and prefer to stand tall. Storing them upright prevents them from becoming “egg-shaped” or developing waves. On the other hand, rubber crumb flooring is more like a relaxed yogi, happy to lie flat. Store those rolls horizontally to avoid any curling at the edges.
Resilient Tile: Don’t Let Your Acclimation Efforts Go to Waste!
Resilient tile, especially rectangular ones like vinyl planks, are prone to stretching and shrinking with temperature changes. Acclimating them to the job site’s conditions is key, but don’t let improper storage undo all your hard work. Keep those boxes flat and handle them with care to avoid bending or warping.
Rigid Core Flooring: No Acclimation Needed, But Don’t Get Careless
Rigid core flooring (like LVP, SPC, and WPC) is a bit of a rebel – it doesn’t need acclimation. But that doesn’t mean you can store it just anywhere! It still needs a climate-controlled environment to stay in tip-top shape. And remember, the installation space needs to be climate-controlled too!
The Takeaway: Don’t Let Storage Woes Sabotage Your Project!
Proper Flooring Material Storage may seem like a minor detail, but it can make or break your installation. Follow these tips, and your floors will look stunning for years to come.
Ready to transform your space with beautiful, problem-free floors? Let’s make it happen! Contact Spartan today to speak with a Representative.
About Christopher
Christopher Capobianco covers the NY Metro and Connecticut area for Spartan. He’s a fourth-generation floor coverer whose family has been in the business since the 1930s. For 36 of the last 43 years, he’s had roles in retail, distributor, and manufacturer sales. The other seven years were spent in floor covering training and technical support. He has been a part time columnist for various flooring magazines since 1988. He’s also a long-time member of the ASTM Committee on resilient flooring. You can reach him here.
ABOUT SPARTAN
Spartan Surfaces is a specialty flooring supplier headquartered in Bel Air, MD. Employing over 250 team members, Spartan prides itself on taking a human-centered approach to business. We put people at the forefront of everything we do – our clients, our suppliers, our communities, our team, and our families. Spartan holds warehousing and offices in Maryland, Minnesota, and Upstate New York with showrooms in D.C., New York City, and Chicago. Its geography spans the contiguous United States with continued expansion on the horizon. We are great people dedicated to great products, great families, great friendships, and great happiness. Whatever you’re working on, we’ve got you covered!