Summertime’s coming (we think), and if you are one of the lucky people with gorgeous hardwood floors in your home, there are a few tips we would like to share. We want everyone to be able to keep their hardwood floors looking great for a long, long time.
1. Keep your cool.
During the summer, the warm outside air will make its way inside—it is unavoidable.
When the relatively humidity outdoors is too high, it is time to turn on the air conditioner. Not only will this keep you more comfortable, it will go a long way in helping to control the expansion of your hardwood floors.
Hardwood flooring, even with several layers of finish on top, still has open pores that can absorb moisture from the air. When the wood picks up this moisture, it expands—which can lead to cupping or in extreme cases, buckling.
Therefore, it’s crucial to properly weatherproof your home and to be careful to keep warm air outside (e.g., don’t leave the door standing open). This will not only help you care for your hardwood floors, but will also help with your energy bills.
2. Keep it between the lines.
The comfort zone for hardwood floors is between 30-50 percent relative humidity. You should strive to maintain this humidity level in your home year-round. Most people find this humidity level the most comfortable for themselves as well.
The key is to maintain that level at all times. That means that when you go on vacation this summer, don’t turn the AC to 80 just to save a little electricity.
3. Make it a cool night.
In the middle of the night, the AC may only run about 10 percent of the time, while in the heat of the summer afternoon, it may run 90 percent of the time. This leads to moisture fluctuation, as you might notice by a “muggy” feeling in the house in the morning. If you have a programmable thermostat, consider setting the temperature during the night a couple degrees cooler than during the day. Not only will this have a positive impact on your floors, as a side benefit, you will probably sleep better.
Many people also use dehumidifiers to help control moisture—which not only helps protect the flooring from excessive movement, but also produces more-comfortable and healthier air.
4. Stay in control.
It’s true that good engineered hardwood flooring is generally more stable than solid plank hardwood floors, but engineered hardwood still contains a top layer of hardwood that can react to moisture fluctuations. It’s still important to control humidity and temperature levels in your home, even with engineered hardwoods.
