cold winters make for dry homes. when you have a season like the one we are (hopefully) coming to the end of, sometimes even industrial humidifiers have trouble keeping up.
maybe that brings us to your floor, the one you remember paying a pretty penny for. it’s shrinking, right before your eyes. small seams become gaps, and maybe you wonder if your floor is now ruined. if this sounds familiar, i have good news. relax.
in all likelihood, with a little care and patience, your floor will probably bounce back. unless we’re talking about the most extreme cases, once you are able to turn down the dry heat and open some windows in the spring, your floor will start to regain the moisture it gave off during the winter. wood, even long after it has been milled, continues to respond to the climate it resides in. wood is always trying to find equilibrium between itself and the environment, giving up it’s moisture when the air is dry, and absorbing it back when the air is more moist.
in the meantime, if you don’t have humidification, it’s a good idea to research it, not just for your floor but for the people walking on it too. a dry environment has been known to cause poor sleep and headaches and can dry out sinuses. hang in there just a little longer, your floor is probably tougher than you think.
keith kraus
woodwrights wide plank flooring
200 lexington ave
suite 714
new york, ny 10016
212.390.8944
www.woodwrightswideplank.com
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