I am a residential GC out in Colorado. My clients want to install about 600 feet of solid 3/4" pre-finished acacia wood flooring. 3" "planks". The dryness out here wreaks havoc on most woods. Anyone worked with acacia? I've tried to confirm what actual species this is, Asian/African Walnut? Possibly Koa? Does anyone know what species commercially sold acacia wood flooring products are most likely to be? What's its Janka? How about its sustainability? Finally, does anyone have any insight into its installation, problems, warnings etc? It looks nice but I wonder about how well it will hold up to the dryness out here.

Thanks for your input.

Chris of
FullerHouse

ACACIA grows almost world-wide, but most of the timber used for flooring is from Malaysia, and milled in China.
The wood is tough, harder than oak but given that it is a chinese product, I would be concerned about MC and milling issues. Do a close inspection of the actual product before commiting the bankroll to this product.
As far as sustainability, see origin above. Acacia was illegally clear cut by Chinese pirates for the longest time, before responsible governments became involved.
Finally, you have asked about its survivability in your arid climate. Although I have no technical data on the subject, my personal feelings are this: the wood evolved and grew in a tropical environment for many thousands of years. I always have wondered what the actual impact of putting it into a temerate climate is. Personally, I am wary of all tropical species, whether they be from Malaysia, Central Africa, or South America.
I use my house as a test zone for various products, and have had two exotic species installed in my home over the years. The first was Sapele, which has performed very well for about 7 years now, in a low use bedroom, the second is Muirapiranga, installed less than two years ago in the kitchen, and scheduled for removal soon.

Invest in a quality wood pin type moisture meter, like a Tramex or Delmhorst.

Make sure the moisture content of the wood is within your regions low moisture content(I may be wrong so check, but I think it is around 6%). This means proper acclimation, which could take weeks, if not months. Although, it could be right on the money, if it has been stored in a Colorado warehouse.

6 -7% From KS and 5-6 % from UT

Hardwood's easier to maintain, definitely. Acacia will work in warmer and dryer areas.

Get a humidifier, humidify prior to install and maintain 30 to 55% rh.

We have acacia trees here. Thorny little bastards.

By now, some type of floor has already been installed, unless he is one of those good & really slow GC's.

Acacia, Asian Walnut hardwood flooring is always a very beautiful and affordable wood specimen, and will always enchance the quality of a home.

What was used to fasten the flooring down?