Congratulations, homeowner! You've finally picked your favorite materials for your big, exciting renovation. Fantastic! You've been waiting so long to redo that living room, bedroom, or kitchen, and you're gung-ho about having everything ready for something you've nicknamed 'the great wood flooring installation of 2018." Everyone's thrilled, and heck, even the dog seems happy. And, guess what?! They've just delivered your new hardwood flooring for next week's install. To make sure the kids don't end up building a treehouse with the planks, you've decided to store everything in the garage.

Stop! Drop! And get away from those packages !
Sure, it makes sense, but it's quite possibly the worst move you could ever make. To avoid any damage to engineered hardwood or solid hardwood flooring, you'll want to read through our About Floors n' More wood flooring installation prep guide. Thanks to our Jacksonville, FL showroom pros, we're here to clarify why you should never store surfacing material in your garage.

Environment
Many factors affect surfacing materials, one of which is ambient temperature and humidity. From cold to heat, dryness to excessive moisture, your surfacing doesn't really stand a chance in the garage. Any of these environmental affectations will render planks and slats unusable, due to such results as warping and cracking.

Storage Method
Not only do your materials need proper indoor temperature and humidity, but they also require a flat, stable storage method. When you lean slats against a wall or other supporting structure, they'll take on the shape of that lean, resulting in curved or bent materials. Even though they must be kept flat, they should also be on an elevated surface to ensure no contact with other potentially damaging items or structures.

Garage Foundation
Typically, garage foundations are slightly below ground level. As they are built in this manner, they're prone to high levels of humidity and water leakage. Again, you need to keep any kind of surfacing material away from areas that won't protect it properly, only resulting in damaged goods. Ideally, all supplies should be kept inside the house where the ambient environment is regulated. Sure, it might be in the way for a little while, but wouldn't you rather lovely, undamaged floors?