HOW DOES CLIMATE CHANGES AFFECT HARDWOOD FLOORS?
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Hardwood floors are ideal for acclimatizing your home; however, they are continuously exposed to changes in relative humidity and temperature of the internal and external environment. For example, when temperatures drop, sometimes cracks between boards appear. This annoyance is frequent when homeowners recently repaired or refinished their floors.
RPA Summer 2020
Relative Humidity
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Ideal Average Moisture The ideal average moisture for homes must be 35 to 55 percent. These conditions depend on many factors, such as geographic location, season, and structural design of each home. In this regard, a hardwood floor project must comply with some requirements to meet the necessary standards; these requirements lay on the floor selection (materials and installation).
Stability of Wood The stability of wood relative humidity depends on air temperature stability. Therefore, the optimal moisture content for hardwood floors when it comes to their installation is 6%-9%. Likewise, hardwood needs to acclimate to the environment before its installation. It is necessary to take into account that Charlotte has hot and humid summers; at the same time, its winters are freezing and wet. Also, in Charlotte, temperatures vary from 33°F to 89°F during the year.
Interior Climate
Other factors are the interior climate of facilities involve HVAC, humidification, and dehumidification systems, as well as interior and exterior waterproofing and insulation methods. 17
Air Conditioners and Heating Systems IN THE WINTER, HEATING SYSTEMS WARM THE TEMPERATURE OF THE INTERIOR AIR; THIS ALLOWS HARDWOOD FLOORS HOLDING MOISTURE AND PREVENTING CRACKS. ON THE OTHER HAND, IN HOT AND HUMID CLIMATES, AIR CONDITIONERS COOL AND COUNTERACT THE PREVALENT INWARD VAPOR, DECREASING THE ABILITY TO HOLD MOISTURE AND AVOIDING CONDENSATION.
Because wood shrinks and expands with the weather fluctuations, hardwood floors must be installed with gaps between boards to allow these dimensional changes. It happens regardless of the installation method and type of hardwood since wood can contain moisture from the indoor’s environment. Thus, the ideal decision is installing these products with stable conditions.
RPA Summer 2020
Installation Conditions
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