I finally listened to the old guy about letting vinyl planks sit in the house before install

Did a job in Tampa last month where the homeowner had the boxes in their garage for a week before I got there. The Florida humidity had them at the right temp and moisture level. When I laid them, the fit was tight and perfect, no gapping at all by the end of the day. My last job where I installed straight from the truck had a call back for gaps after two weeks. How long do you guys usually let material acclimate for a standard glue-down LVP job?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth4371mo ago

Check the actual moisture content of the subfloor too. I've seen LVP look fine at first, but if the slab or wood underneath is holding moisture, it'll push that vapor up and mess with the planks later. Acclimating the boxes won't fix a wet subfloor.

theagarcia2mo ago

Honestly, I've rushed installs straight from the warehouse more times than I can count and never had a real issue. Feels like one of those things that gets blown way out of proportion. If the house is climate controlled, what's the big difference between the truck and the living room? I get it for solid hardwood, but for LVP it seems like overkill. Maybe you just got lucky with that Tampa job.

valallen2mo ago

So you've never seen a single plank gap or buckle later on? I've seen enough callbacks from rushed jobs to know it's a real risk, even with LVP.