Many of the most important factors at play in caring for your floor are categorized as aspects of your interior environment. This is one of several reasons why temperature, humidity, and the concept of acclimation are so important!
Your Floors and Their Environment
As you may know, the process of choosing the right wood flooring type for an interior involves considering a number of conditions, including what type of heating is implemented in your home and what your local climate is like. High-traffic activity due to pets, family, or friends might be the first thing on your mind, but temperature and moisture are critical too. As such, it’s important to look out for these factors just as attentively as you’d watch out for big spills or stiletto heels!
What’s Acclimation?
The term “acclimation” can have slightly different meanings depending on context. More broadly, it refers to making sure the heat and humidity of a room is optimal to the longevity of the solid hardwood flooring inside it. More specifically, it also refers to the process of leaving hardwood planks on site for a period of time, allowing their grain structure to adjust to their surrounding conditions. There are differing opinions in the industry regarding when and to what extent the latter process is necessary, but the effect of room humidity and heat on the integrity of solid hardwood (and the importance of keeping an eye on these conditions) is common knowledge.
The Right Conditions
While there are exceptions, a general guideline you can use is to keep humidity within a range of 40% to 60%, while temperature should fall within a range of 15 to 26 degrees Celsius. However, with certain exotic species, things get a bit more particular, so be sure to check with your retailer or installer. If you find humidity getting a bit excessive during some days of summer, a dehumidifier can serve to avoid expansion and cupping. Conversely, humidifying your interior during particularly dry winter days can alleviate contraction. With attention and care, your beautiful floors will stay in their optimal condition for years!
Have further questions on the unique needs of your flooring and conditions of your interior? Smith Bros. would be more than happy to answer them! To make sure your floors are being cared for properly, give us a call at (403) 917-0847 today!