Take precautionary measures to protect and maintain your hardwood floors in summer.
Damage to hardwood floors during summer.
Not only will closing blinds or drawing curtains keep your home cooler in those warm summer months but it will also prevent unnecessary damage to your gorgeous hardwood flooring.
Just as too much sun can damage your skin direct sunlight can easily damage your floor and cause unsightly fading and discoloration.
This can lead to swelling warping or cupping at which point you have a serious and expensive problem on your hands.
Humidity as the humidity levels increase during the summer plainsawn floors will grow.
Stains gaps buckling warping and mold are all water related or moisture related problems in flooring systems.
The extreme heat and shift in moisture can cause it to buckle cup and warp while uv rays can cause fading and discolouration of the floor surface.
A certain amount of hardwood floor cupping is to be expected during the summertime.
This expansion can create pressure between the boards which can cause the boards to warp cup or crack.
Water vapor is enough to warp floorboards.
This is a completely natural process that usually doesn t threaten the integrity of your floors.
However if your flooring was not properly installed or has not been appropriately maintained permanent and preventable damage may occur.
The summer season can lead to several pesky problems for your floors if you aren t careful.
Excess moisture and heat may cause damage to your hardwood floors.
However this process needs to be performed at the proper time.
In the summer if the relative humidity in your home is higher than the recommended maximum of 42 percent your floors and other woodwork will absorb moisture.
Too much exposure to uv radiations from the sun can lighten your hardwood floors.
Damage to wood floors does not even have to be caused by water.
Having your hardwood flooring professionally sanded and can help diminish visible cupping.
In many instances environmental factors cause wood floors to warp rather than shoddy workmanship on the part of the floor installer.
Hardwood is vulnerable to sun and humidity damage.
Several of the types of flooring damage discussed above beginning at buckled wood flooring due to leaks or high moisture describe water or moisture damage to floors.
Therefore keep the blinds closed or curtains to prevent the sun from directly striking your wood.
Other than moisture issues during summer your wood floor can also discolor.