A
wooden floor contains a lot of moisture; if the moisture content isn’t managed
properly, the floorboards will lose their durability and strength. When the
humidity in a home rises, the crevices in a wood floor begin to pull in the
moisture that’s found in the air. However, there are easy ways to preserve wood
flooring. If you learn the warning signs, you can request maintenance and
repairs before a simple issue turns into a major problem.
Visible Signs
You’ll see various flaws if moisture expands and contracts the wood grains. The
material will shift whenever the RH levels in the environment increase or
decrease. If the levels change dramatically, your flooring will look
unappealing.
Cracks
During the winter, the RH level will drop each time your heating system is
used. Hot air pulls moisture out of wooden floorboards; if too much moisture is
released, the boards will shrink. To protect your flooring, you may want to buy
a humidifier in order to keep moisture in the air on dry winter days.
Cupping
Cupping occurs when the floorboards are very high along the edges. Moisture
causes this problem because it expands the wood and lifts the grains. According
to experts, cupping happens whenever there is a moisture imbalance in a thick
piece of wood. If a board has more moisture along the bottom and is drier on
the top, the top portion will dry faster. This is why cupping generates on
specific spots on a wood floor.
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