SCS Hardwood Floors Helps Customers Understand How the Air in Their Homes Can Affect Their Wood Floors
The flooring experts at SCS Hardwood Floors share valuable information about how the temperature and humidity in your home can effect your hardwood flooring.
Orlando, FL, January 13, 2011 --(PR.com)-- With the recent drastic changes in the weather in Central Florida over the last two months, SCS Hardwood Floors has been fielding alot of questions about how already installed flooring is reacting to the changes in temperature and humidity so they want to let all of thier customers know exactly how their floors are effected and what can be done to offset the extreme changes in temperature.
Wood flooring reacts to the environment it is in. Wood gains or loses moisture and correspondingly gets bigger or smaller based on the moisture content and temperature of its surroundings. Acceptable indoor conditions range near 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (F) and 30 to 50 percent relative humidity (RH). These conditions are a guide to determining the moisture content of wood flooring.
Air at a given temperature can only hold a given amount of moisture. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. The ratio of how much moisture is in the air compared to how much it can hold at a given temperature is defined as relative humidity. Heating or cooling air doesn’t change the amount of moisture in the air, but it does change the air’s capacity to hold moisture.
Adding or removing moisture can also change the RH. Humidifiers, cooking, bathing and cleaning activities are ways to add moisture to air. Dehumidifiers and air conditioners are typical ways to remove moisture and lower RH. So when there is a change in the temperature of your home, the wood floor is affected because of a related change in RH.
Air conditioners can remove moisture from the air and help control indoor humidity levels. But typical air conditioners are controlled by temperature settings, not humidity levels. Short run times, a leaky home and excess moisture sources can all cause summer indoor humidity levels to be high. Removing moisture from the inside air helps keep the humidity at respectable levels of 40 to 50% RH.
Wood floors react to an indoor environment in a predictable way because of known relationships with temperature and relative humidity. A more stable environment results in a more stable floor. Wood species, and board width are factors that determine environmental requirements.
One solution to dry or humid houses is to add humidity controls. Humidifiers are added for the heating season to keep things from getting too dry. Dehumidifiers are added or air conditioners are turned down to deal with summer moisture.
Air conditioners can help control summer humidity levels but need to run to be effective. AC units typically do not dehumidify much in the morning or during cooler spring and fall seasons when moisture loads can still be high. In many cases, a stand-alone or whole-house dehumidifier is necessary, especially with wider flooring and in humid climates. In this way, humidity levels are controlled independent of temperatures.
For more than 38 years, SCS Hardwood Floors has built a reputation for quality and service with Orlando, Florida builders and homeowners. Located on North John Young Parkway just north of Silver Star Road, SCS Hardwood Floors provides hardwood flooring to home owners and builders alike.
Contact them for details at 407-297-1884 or visit their website at scshardwoodfloors.net.
###
Wood flooring reacts to the environment it is in. Wood gains or loses moisture and correspondingly gets bigger or smaller based on the moisture content and temperature of its surroundings. Acceptable indoor conditions range near 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit (F) and 30 to 50 percent relative humidity (RH). These conditions are a guide to determining the moisture content of wood flooring.
Air at a given temperature can only hold a given amount of moisture. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. The ratio of how much moisture is in the air compared to how much it can hold at a given temperature is defined as relative humidity. Heating or cooling air doesn’t change the amount of moisture in the air, but it does change the air’s capacity to hold moisture.
Adding or removing moisture can also change the RH. Humidifiers, cooking, bathing and cleaning activities are ways to add moisture to air. Dehumidifiers and air conditioners are typical ways to remove moisture and lower RH. So when there is a change in the temperature of your home, the wood floor is affected because of a related change in RH.
Air conditioners can remove moisture from the air and help control indoor humidity levels. But typical air conditioners are controlled by temperature settings, not humidity levels. Short run times, a leaky home and excess moisture sources can all cause summer indoor humidity levels to be high. Removing moisture from the inside air helps keep the humidity at respectable levels of 40 to 50% RH.
Wood floors react to an indoor environment in a predictable way because of known relationships with temperature and relative humidity. A more stable environment results in a more stable floor. Wood species, and board width are factors that determine environmental requirements.
One solution to dry or humid houses is to add humidity controls. Humidifiers are added for the heating season to keep things from getting too dry. Dehumidifiers are added or air conditioners are turned down to deal with summer moisture.
Air conditioners can help control summer humidity levels but need to run to be effective. AC units typically do not dehumidify much in the morning or during cooler spring and fall seasons when moisture loads can still be high. In many cases, a stand-alone or whole-house dehumidifier is necessary, especially with wider flooring and in humid climates. In this way, humidity levels are controlled independent of temperatures.
For more than 38 years, SCS Hardwood Floors has built a reputation for quality and service with Orlando, Florida builders and homeowners. Located on North John Young Parkway just north of Silver Star Road, SCS Hardwood Floors provides hardwood flooring to home owners and builders alike.
Contact them for details at 407-297-1884 or visit their website at scshardwoodfloors.net.
###
Contact
SCS Hardwood Floors Inc.
Janet Bayes
407-297-1884
www.scshardwoodfloors.net
Janet Bayes
407-297-1884
www.scshardwoodfloors.net
Contact
Categories