Wood and Water

HOW MOISTURE AFFECTS HARDWOOD FLOORING

When Water and Wood Combine For the hardwood flooring installer, he often gets a call from some one who got the name of your business from family or a friend; whether it's for an estimate or a question. Sure. Getting those kinds of phone calls are good for the business as they may become a potential customer.

But sometimes the caller is a previous customer with a complaint. Perhaps the floor that fit so well when it was first installed now shows cracks, cupping or buckling.

Those are the most common changes that moisture can inflict on a floor. They do no favors for the customer, nor for the hardwood flooring industry. Tales of how floors were damaged by water, for whatever reason - improper installation or careless maintenance by the owner -leave the impression that wood floors are more problematic than other flooring choices.

For wood flooring professionals, it's important to inform end users about the normal behavior of wood in relation to moisture. Most solid wood flooring will contract during periods of low humidity (usually during the heating season), sometimes leaving noticeable cracks between boards, or else expand during periods of high humidity. To help minimize these effects. users can stabilize the environment of the building through temperature and humidity control.

A well-performing wood floor is often the result of an installer taking the proper time and care necessary for a successful installation. It involves a knowledge of:

• the expected moisture content of wood flooring in a particular area after acclimation;

• the moisture content of flooring at the time of installation;

• and the expected "in use" changes.

Moisture is a large part of the reason for how wood behaves, both during the machining process and after installation. Installers would do well to understand moisture's effect on wood in some detail.