Have you ever noticed your hardwood floors shifting? Do gaps between the planks appear in winter and slight cupping in summer? While the shifting of hardwood floors can be concerning to many homeowners, it is a completely natural phenomenon.
Wood floors tend to shift with the seasons due to humidity levels.
Dryer air in the winter causes them to shrink while higher humidity levels in summer months cause them to expand. In this article, we will dive into exactly why this is as well as what you can do to minimize this shifting.
How Do the Seasons Impact Wood Floors?
Wood is a hygroscopic material. This means it absorbs and releases moisture based on the humidity in the air. During the winter months, indoor heating causes the air to become much dryer, and moisture is naturally drawn out of wood to replace what was lost in the air. This causes wood flooring to shrink and develop cracks or gaps between the boards.
Conversely, humidity levels tend to increase during the summer. As such, wood floors will absorb moisture from the air and expand. This can cause them to swell or slightly cup, where the edges of boards will rise higher than their center. Essentially, this seasonal movement occurs because wood tries to balance its internal moisture content with the surrounding air.
Here are a few factors that can influence how much a wood floor will move:
Wood Species
Some species of hardwood naturally move less. This is because they are more dimensionally stable. For instance, oak floors tend to move less than maple floors. Also, engineered hardwood will move less than solid hardwood. This is because engineered hardwood has a layered construction that gives it better dimensional stability.
Board Width
The width of boards also affects how much a floor will move with seasonal changes. Wider boards have more surface area, which means they will absorb and release more moisture than narrower boards. As such, you will see greater gaps during the winter and more cupping in the summer. A board with a width of 2-1/4” may have a winter gap of 1/32” whereas a 9” board could show a gap of 3/16”.
Indoor Humidity Levels
While winter months naturally bring dryer temperatures and summer months bring higher humidity outside your home, it is really the climate inside your home that affects hardwood flooring movement. If you have a humidifier running during the winter, you will see less movement than without one. We recommend keeping your indoor humidity levels at 35-55% year-round to minimize movement.
Ways to Reduce Hardwood Shifting
Keep Humidity Levels Stable
The only surefire way to minimize seasonal hardwood shifting is to keep the humidity levels in your home stable, typically between 35-55%. If necessary, install a humidifier on your furnace. This will add moisture to the air throughout your home. You can also use a portable humidifier or even boil water regularly on the stove.
However, depending on the size of the wood flooring, these options may not be enough to regulate humidity. You can also run a de-humidifier in the summer months.
Consider Engineered Hardwood
While engineered hardwood will still expand and contract, it does so only to an extent and much less than natural hardwood. The great thing about engineered hardwood is that it still looks natural and beautiful with any home aesthetic. So, if you live in an area with extreme seasonal changes, this type of wood may be the way to go.
Unmatched Hardwood Flooring Services in Michigan
Seeing gaps or cupping in your hardwood floors may be alarming at first. Just remember that it is natural and is not anything to be overly concerned about. However, by keeping your home’s internal humidity levels stable, you can ensure your floors remain glorious and long lasting.
That said, proper wood floor installation is just as important as climate control. Rely on expert hardwood flooring services at Cameron the Sandman to ensure your hardwood floors are acclimated correctly and installed with care.
Our experience in hardwood flooring spans more than 80 years and each flooring project is precisely managed with attention to detail. If you are looking for impeccable floors that exude beauty and warmth, contact our sales and installation team today!