Using a Contractor to Improve Your Home

Preparing Wooden Floors for winter

In the winter, it's vital to be extra cautious when taking care of your hardwood floor. The freezing conditions can create major problems for wooden floor owners. Changes in humidity and temperature are the primary cause of concern. Secondly, you should prevent your floor from any form of harsh element.

Here are three effective tips to help you care for your wooden floor in the winter:

Fill Gaps in the Wood Floor

You need to check your wooden floor for splits, cracks, or gaps. These three may let draughts through. The last thing you want is to switch your heating on only to allow cold draughts through gaps in your flooring. You can fill the gaps in three ways. They are:

  • Applying acrylic filler
  • Putting filler strips between boards
  • Applying resin and dust filling

Regardless of the option you choose, you stand to benefit immensely, in terms of both heating bills and your comfort.

Invest in High Quality Doormats

Debris, water, and dirt are the main problems that face homeowners during the winter months. These harsh elements can easily scratch and damage hardwood floors. Snow, slush, and rainwater are equally harmful. They can cause the floor to become warped and dull. Investing in quality doormats prevents all these harsh elements from coming into your home. Top-notch doormats help the floor to retain not only its luster but also freshness throughout the colder months.

Ensure Temperatures at Home are Consistent

Fluctuating moisture and temperature levels can play havoc with wooden floors. This is particularly true in the winter. Constantly changing moisture and temperature levels cause wooden floorboards to contract and expand significantly. This can result to gaping, warping, and buckling. Therefore, it's prudent to ensure temperatures in your home remain consistent. To do so, turn down the ventilation. Additionally, you can try to raise the moisture levels in the house. Be cautious not to surpass the admissible temperature levels (between 19°C and 25°C). Doing so ensures your floor remains in great shape for many years to come.

Conclusion

The fact that wood is an organic material means it's naturally sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. When the environment is damp and warm, it expands. When it's colder and drier, wood contracts. These changes can result to various problems. Nonetheless, with the above steps, you can drastically reduce the effects of the changing ambient conditions. Your wooden floor doesn't have to suffer in the winter.

For assistance, talk to a professional like Hayter's Timber & Paving.


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