Dehumidifier Ruin Wood Floors

Therefore the wood weakens making your hardwood floor more brittle and increasing the likelihood of damage or splintering.

Dehumidifier ruin wood floors.

Splits checks when the wood is faced with extreme conditions it can be stressed beyond its limitations. But that s not to say that wood floors don t need periodic maintenance and a few special considerations. While most hvac humidifiers do not saturate the air with enough water to damage your hardwood floors there is such a thing as too much moisture. I recently had a call asking whether a dehumidifier installed in a crawl space can over dry the crawl space and cause problems with a hardwood floor.

Depending on how much moisture and how long the hardwood floor is exposed to it it can do irreparable damage. If the indoor relative humidity is above 60 you should use an air conditioner to dry out the air. That said a hickory wood floor will expand and shrink more than a red oak floor with humidity swings. How high and low humidity can ruin your wood floors wood is one of the most beautiful materials you can use for flooring and it s also one of the most durable.

A buckled floor with only minor damage can sometimes be repaired simply by removing the excess moisture but serious buckling will necessitate replacing the hardwood boards. If you see an area with minor buckling and or other slight signs of water damage it won t hurt to take the easy way out first and try this quick and simple repair. Many homeowners worry about having too much moisture for their new hardwood floors and will install a dehumidifier thinking this is the best way to protect their floors from excess moisture for years to come. The cupping could continue to worsen and create gaps between the boards.

Once humidity levels rise again the hardwood floor will expand and most gaps will close up again. If your floor is so bad that it needs repairs it is best to do them in the spring. 50 may be a terrible number for your university test grades but it s the perfect humidity level for your floors. What happens if cupping doesn t get fixed.

But before you get overly concerned about dehumidifying crawl spaces let me explain the realities. The humidity levels in your home are extremely important for maintaining your wood floors because moisture loss causes wood to shrink and moisture absorption causes wood to swell. Besides the visible warping of your hardwood floorboards the floor could fail. In the summer you should be using a dehumidifier regularly.

One of those special considerations is your home s relative humidity level.