Caring for Hardwood Floors
It is very important to maintain proper humidity levels in your home, not only for your health but for your hardwood flooring as well. Here in the Mid-West, we experience tragic swings in humidity levels – terribly high in the summer months and nearly nothing in the winter months. This is important to recognize since wood floors react to a lack of and an abundance of humidity.
Lack of moisture in the environment will cause the wood to shrink and small gaps will appear. Too much moisture and the wood will swell, become too tight and the edges will raise and the boards will start to cup.
An average level of humidity is usually around the 45% range in our zone according to many information outlets.
Humidity in Summertime
My experience has been if you can keep the humidity level in your home at a maximum and preferably 40% range in the summertime you will rarely see any edge raise.
The easiest way to maintain this level of humidity is with a De-Humidifier running 24/7. Preferably draining directly into your floor drain in the lower level toward the center of the house if possible.
Hardwood Flooring in Winter
In the winter I suggest aiming for the 45% range. Most humidifiers will not reach this air moisture level as our heaters do such a great job of robbing any moisture as they pump out the heat. As well, you might have a meter that sits inside the trunk supply line of your heater. Although it may read 45%, it is very unlikely that the air is actually at 45% humidity in your rooms. The level of humidity can be verified by a hygrometer that can be purchased online or at the local hardware store for proper humidity monitoring.
Different wood species and widths of flooring will react differently to moisture levels. By monitoring the level of humidity – you can adjust the applicable unit to attain ideal levels. Furthermore, ensuring the desired levels of humidity will help keep your wood flooring more stable and long-lasting.