Do hardwood floors need humidity?

Proper humidity level for your hardwood floor

The National Wood Floor Association (NWFA) states that normal relative humidity levels should range between 30%-50% to ensure successful long-term performance of your wood flooring.

What humidity is bad for hardwood floors?

Here's the Hardwood Golden Rule: With both solid and engineered hardwoods, you should aim to keep humidity levels in your home between 35% and 55%. Now here's why. If the humidity level drops below 35%, it can be a problem for your hardwood.

Is a humidifier necessary for hardwood floors?

A humidifier is necessary for your hardwood floors if you live in an extremely cold or dry environment. You should consider getting a humidifier if the humidity levels in your area and home drop below 35% for large parts of the year. You may need only to run your humidifier during certain seasons.

Does a dehumidifier help with wood floors?

Depending on the current humidity level in your home, you could need one of these devices to help you protect your hardwood floors. In fact, it may be best to use both. Humidity tends to increase during the summer, so use a dehumidifier during this season to bring the level down into the 40-60% range.

Will a humidifier ruin hardwood floors?

Because wood is a porous material, it soaks up moisture which can damage it. Depending on how much moisture, and how long the hardwood floor is exposed to it, it can do irreparable damage.

Understanding Relative Humidity and Hardwood Flooring

How do you add moisture to hardwood floors?

Humidifiers add moisture to the air, making it more comfortable for people, pets, and wood floors. Your humidifier should keep the relative humidity at that sweet spot between 35% and 55%. Realistically, you want it on the lower end than the upper end.

Why are my hardwood floors so cold?

During the cool seasons, it's likely having to do with your home's changing atmosphere. The air is less humid, which can cause your wood flooring to lose a lot of its moisture. As a result, the floorboards have shrunk, cracked, and even created little gaps.

How do I keep my hardwood floors from drying out?

For just a few hundred dollars, you can equip your HVAC unit with a whole-home humidifier designed to add humidity to the air when it gets dry. Keeping your home consistently between 35-55% relative humidity is the best way to protect your wood floors from shrinking, expanding, cupping, cracking, squeaking or gapping.

Is humidity bad for wood?

A poor balance of humidity in your home has the potential to destroy your wood furniture. When exposed to an excessive amount of humidity, the wood furniture can expand and begin to deteriorate. High levels of humidity are most frequently observed in the spring and summer time.

Can low humidity affect hardwood floors?

Low Humidity and Dry Air

If humidity levels are too low, the air in your home will be dry. This in turn can dry out and weaken your wood floors. In low humidity, wood shrinks and contracts. This can lead to gaps appearing between the wood planks of your floor.

Can hardwood floors be too dry?

While too much moisture can be detrimental to wood flooring, the complete lack of moisture may be just as bad. Wood shrinks and expands in accordance to the humidity levels around it, which causes small cracks over time.

What is the best temperature for hardwood floors?

The safe temperature range for hardwood floors is typically between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Is 40% humidity too dry?

Let's talk about what humidity levels you should keep in your home year round, and different techniques to do so. Ideal in-home humidity levels should hover around 45%. Anything under 30% is too dry, over 50% is too high.

What happens if humidity is too low in house?

Low humidity causes static electricity, dry skin, lips and hair, scratchy throats and noses, and itching and chapping. Mucous membranes in nose and throat dry out, increasing your discomfort and susceptibility to colds and respiratory illness.

How do you rehydrate a floor?

Will hardwood floors Uncup?

Humidity plays a huge role in the upkeep of your hardwood floors. Wood will try to match its internal moisture content to the moisture content of the air around it. This means that, in high humidity, your wood floors will absorb more moisture, causing them to expand and cup.

How do I keep my hardwood floors from cracking?

How do you keep your house warm on hardwood floors?

Why are my wood floors popping?

The most common reason for hardwood to make a popping sound, specifically at night, is a change in humidity. The home cools during the transition from day to night and that can impact humidity levels in the home. The popping sound can be especially loud if the fit of the wood is very tight.

What flooring is best for house warming?

Carpet is the natural choice for keeping your home or office warm as it's thick, cosy, soft and comfortable underfoot which all contribute to reducing heat loss. Carpet can also be installed with an extra warm underlay and underfloor heating, thus boosting warmth further.

Will a dehumidifier dry a wet floor?

Dehumidifiers work by removing moisture from the air and replacing it with dry air. Used in conjunction with fans and heaters they can speed up drying out a floor. The problem with using a dehumidifier to dry out a floor is that it will collect moisture from the entire room not just the wet surface.

Does humidity make floors sticky?

Sometimes a tacky wood floor is caused by heat or humidity in the air. As the top coating gets hot, it may soften and cause the feeling of stickiness to the touch.

What is the healthiest indoor humidity level?

What is healthy humidity? Most people find that a relative humidity between 30 to 60 percent is the most comfortable, with indoor humidity ideally between 30 to 50 percent.

What is ideal indoor humidity?

The ideal relative humidity for health and comfort is somewhere between 30-50% humidity, according to the Mayo Clinic. This means that the air holds between 30-50% of the maximum amount of moisture it can contain.