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Winter Air and Your Hardwood Floors


As winter settles in more than a big portion of the nation, temperatures fall and the air gets cool and sharp. While the onset of the winter wonderland brings holiday cheer, it also ushers in reduced humidity levels together with the falling temperatures.

One reason we love hardwood floors is they bring the warmth and beauty of nature into our houses. As part of nature, wood has a symbiotic relationship with its surrounding environment and reacts accordingly to the fluctuations around it. The naturally drier atmosphere of winter, together with our requirement for the comfort of artificial heat inside, tends to remove a great deal of humidity out of our homes. Wood stoves, stoves, and electric heat may exacerbate already low moisture levels even more.

Wood's natural reaction to decreasing moisture is normally to psychologist. This may lead to gaps or spaces which were not within the summertime to appear. Even though this may appear to be cause for concern, rest assured that this procedure is predictable and normal. Exotic wood species may also be sensitive to climate fluctuations compared to most national types. That said there are still a few things you can do to help mitigate sunlight's sway over your hardwood flooring.

Humidity Control is Essential

The EPA advises a relative humidity of 40-50 percent is best for human beings to become healthy and comfortable. Unsurprisingly, wood also includes a favorite comfort zone, which happily, carefully mirrors ours. NWFA urges humidity amounts of 30-50 per cent to make the most of the look and lifespan of your flooring.

The first step to controlling your indoor environment is keeping the outside atmosphere......welloutside. Weatherproofing your house will not only make it more efficient to heat, but can reduce your ground's vulnerability to the dry arctic air. Search for and address air leaks around windows and poorly sealed doors. Outlet and junction boxes on exterior walls are also often overlooked culprits for air escapes. The more that cold air finds its way into your home, the longer you have to heat the inside, which generally sucks more moisture from this air.

Another easy solution is to introduce more moisture back in the surroundings. Humidifiers normally come either as a standalone unit which can be set anywhere in the house or as a component of the home's HVAC system. In either case, the key is to take it slow and introduce moisture gradually to the air. During winter months, 30-40 percent is a good target level to maximize comfort for you and your hardwood floors, while preventing condensation or risk of mold.

Relax

Environmental impacts on wood can never really be eliminated, but this is also what provides wood the character and beauty that we like. Ultimately, homeowners should simply accept these seasonal adjustments as part of having a hardwood floor, and revel in the seasons as they manifest in the wood. Always remember that keeping the humidity and temperature level at the recommended level is not just vital for maintaining your hardwood floor looking good, but also offers you an overall healthy home environment.

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