Green Glue, Humidity and Species Info

LIFECORE’s LifeLine
Your flooring Q & A

Q – I have question about hardwood flooring installation.  My husband was looking over the installation instructions for LIFECORE®, and said it’s his understanding that we need glue even if the floor is floated.  Is this correct?  – HG

A – Hi HG. When installing a LIFECORE floor that’s been approved for the floating installation method, the boards must be side and end glued using tongue & groove adhesive. This will ensure that they remain in place. You can read detailed installation instructions here.

Q – Hi there! I am interested in your Abella Lively Acacia wood flooring. I see that all your products have zero formaldehyde added. Can you tell me more about the air safety of your floors.  Also, is there a particular adhesive you would recommend for installation to ensure the flooring remains zero VOC? – MD

A – Thanks for your question! Many of the industry’s most popular hardwood flooring adhesives offer eco-friendly and low VOC options.  Bostiks’ GreenForce®, Sika’s SikaBond®Isotonic Glue-T35 and Supreme Green® by DriTac are a few that come to mind.  As for LIFECORE, the adhesive that we use for our ZERO-ADD engineered flooring help to eliminate unhealthy VOCs.

Q – We are building a new house. I would like to know recommendations on storing our new Abella Acacia wood flooring off site until we are ready to install. Is a warehouse ok?  What about temperature and humidity? – TW

A – Hi TW, great question. A safe temperature for hardwood is between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Hardwoods should preserve a 6-9% humidity level while in storage and should keep humidity between 30-50%. Once you are ready, move the flooring in and acclimate it in the room it will be installed in for a minimum of three days prior to installation.

Q – Hello.  Is the ABELLA ACACIA, MODERNA made from the small leaf or big leaf acacia? – JL

A – Thanks for the question!  LIFECORE Acacia is large leaf and one of our top sellers. We use this because it takes stain and distresses better then small leaf to accomplish the beautiful visuals.

Q – We’re buying and renovating a new house.  We have learned a lot about sustainability in recent years and don’t want to use exotic hardwoods in our new place. However, we do like the hardness of the Brazilian Cherry we have now.  Which of your floors is hardest and are any comparable to exotics? – IL

A – Hi IL.  LIFECORE offers collections that come in Betula, Maple, Oak, Acacia, and Hickory.  While all rank above average on the Janka Hardness scale, the one that ranks the highest of the group is Hickory flooring, which comprises our Aurora and Arden collections.