Unlike popular belief, installing hardwood flooring in winter season has its advantages. How great the benefit will depend on the climate of the local area. Wood is a natural product, which is susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature. Just like the trees where it milled from, wood flooring is a permeable material and its natural characteristics need to be considered before the installation process.
The Ever-Changing Floor
Hardwood flooring will certainly expand and contract because it absorbs moisture from the air in times of higher humidity and releases it back in to the air in the drier months. A professional flooring installer knows about these factors thereby making the required compensations when installing the floor. If a floor is being installed in humid months, it is unfavorable to success that the flooring will be sent and left in opened packages in the area where it is going to be installed at least one day before the installation. This will let the flooring to acclimate to its new environment and balance the moisture present in each plank of wood. If the floor is unable to acclimate, contraction may occur after the floor has been installed, leaving gaps between the planks.
By installing hardwood flooring in drier winter months, the flooring is going to be in a contracted state, and proper installation must eliminate the chance of gaps occurring between the planks. A qualified professional flooring installer knows to assess the ideal amount of room between planks when installing it in the winter season to provide a small space for expansion in summer months. Even in the winter, it is very important that wood flooring will be left in opened packages in an area where it will be installed so that acclimation may take place.
Winter Subflooring is Best
In the summer when the humidity is higher, moisture will be trapped in the sub-surfaces in which hardwood flooring is installed. Even a concrete subfloor will most likely retain moisture that will wreak havoc when trapped beneath a wood floor. In winter, the risk of moisture being trapped beneath the newly installed wood floor will be much less common. Moisture will usually result in mildew and even mold which can be harmful to the health of people. Mainly because this occurs below the hardwood flooring, it is often not recognized until significant spreading has occurred. In these cases, removal of the flooring and expensive mold remediation is required.
To homeowners that are thinking of installing new hardwood floors, the time to take action is maybe right now while the weather is still cooler and drier than it soon will be. There is certainly nothing wrong with having wood floors installed in the summer, but a winter or early spring installation does eliminate some guesswork.
If you’re interested more in repairing wood floors, you can visit us in Wood Floor Planet.
Flooring Master 