HARDWOOD FLOORS ARE ALMOST NEVER PERFECT!

Posted by Tom Martino at 1:58 pm 98 Comments Print

If you want perfect hardwood floors in Colorado, it’ll take more maintenance than you probably realize … that’s if you want absolute perfection.  But if you are satisfied with a more rustic look, there is nothing easier. But make the choice up front. Here are some tips to help get close to perfecto!

• Acclimate the wood.  That means the hardwood material should sit in your home long enough to either dry out or suck up the same humidity that’s present in your home.

• Match humidity. The humidity should match the humidity of the subfloor within 2%.

• Use a moisture meter. There is no set time for acclimation. The only real way to know if hardwood has been acclimated properly is to use a moisture meter.

• Adequate fasteners and glue: a must!  Hardwood floor boards should be nailed or stapled every 6 to 8 inches along the length of the board. And if the boards are more than 3-inches wide, glue should be used.

• Avoid excessive moisture. When cleaning never use a wet mop or wet rags. Use only a damp, soft mop and finish with a light oil if you want sheen.

• Keep floors clean. Nothing wears out hardwood floors faster than dirt, grime and debris being ground in by foot traffic. Clean wood floors often.

• Maintain consistent moisture. To minimize shrinkage, gaping and any kind of movement, you need to keep humidity and temps consistent throughout the areas in your home with hardwood floors. If floors acclimated properly, this should require no effort, unless excessive moisture is introduced to the home. In those cases, keep a dehumidifier running until humidity is “normal”, which in Colorado is very low.

• Add Humidification (optional). Some people In Colorado have chosen to purposely introduce moisture into their homes (with whole-house humidifiers) to keep furniture, pianos and interior wood from cracking.  Beware! Once you add humidification to your home – wood items will “suck it up” and get “hooked” on it.  So you need to keep using it. If you stop humidifying, the wood items will quickly dry out and could start cracking.

• General rule:  If the wood acclimates and settles in without moisture and humidity, and you keep it that way, things should be pretty stable with the exception of a bit of movement as conditions change.  But if you introduce a standard humidity, you have to maintain it.

AROUND THE HOUSE BLOG READY flooring, hardwood, hardwood floors, humidification, humidifier, humidity, moisture, pianos, whole-house humidifier, wood