Avid Okanagan winter enthusiasts will be pleased with our probably quite happy with our recent snowfall and colder temperatures. Here at Small’s Tile & Flooring, we’re really excited to hit the slopes of Big White Ski Resort which opens this Saturday. But cooler temperatures and wet or dry conditions bring new concerns for the care and maintenance of certain types of floors including solid and engineered hardwood flooring.

Why Does Moisture Matter to Hardwood Flooring?

All wood is considered to be hygroscopic; which means that it absorbs and releases moisture depending on the humidity in its environment. As it gains or loses water (moisture content) it will expand and contract along its width. This is true even after the tree is cut down and manufactured into a wood product (hardwood floors, doors, furniture, et cetera.). Unfortunately for hardwood floors, they face a unique type of strain in that they are permanently attached to the subfloor or to each other (as in a floating floor application). While a table and chair can change slightly without you ever noticing—a floor needs to move in a controlled fashion to avoid problems such as buckling, checking, and gapping. Consider that a 1/16″ change over 16 boards is a full inch of growth that needs to go somewhere (and often that means buckling upwards).

How to Keep Your Hardwood Floors Looking Great

In the winter, humidity can be a mixed bag. At the start of the season when we get wet, slushy snow it can spike. During the dead of winter it can decrease quite significantly. Your best defence is a digital hygrometer which will tell you the relative humidity in the room. Your goal is to keep that between 35% and 55%—where your hardwood floors will live comfortably. If your room is above 55% for an extended period of time, you may need a dehumidifier to take moisture out of the air (and floor). If your room is below 35% for an extended period of time (which is common in Kelowna and many parts of the Okanagan), you’ll need a humidifier to add humidity to the air. Given the cost of replacing a floor, either of these are relatively inexpensive protection to keep your floors looking beautiful for a long time.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to Contact Us