DIY Saturday #54 – How to Shine & Protect your Hardwood Flooring (Video)

Guest Blogger #96, Entry #552, June 11, 2011

Happy DIY Saturday! For those of you that are contemplating the decision to install hardwood floors in your home, whether its for the aesthetic, family members have allergies, or you want a change in your home, today we are talking about protecting your hardwood floors.

If you already have hardwood floors, here’s a You Tube video on keeping them shiny without developing a buildup and our Guest Blogger, gives tips for protecting hardwood floors from moisture damage.

Guest Blogger: How to Protect your Hardwood Flooring from Moisture Damage

Irrespective of how robust hardwood floors are they are prone to damage, which is triggered on by extreme climatic changes. Moisture is the biggest threat to hardwood floor products. Hence as a homeowner you should ensure that any spill on your hardwood floor should be cleaned up before it seeps into the layers of wood. Moisture as a result of a spill if left neglected can gradually destroy the surface of your hardwood floor.

Learn how to protect your hardwood flooring from moisture damage

Hardwood floor products

Hardwood floor products tend to absorb a lot of moisture. Since they are a product of nature, hardwood floors react to variations in temperature and humidity. Typically hardwood floor products tend to absorb moisture and swell up when there is a high amount of humidity. During the winter season however, hardwood floors lose moisture and tend to contract. Once you understand how this happens you would be able to prevent the seasonal changes to your hardwood flooring.

During the biting winters the air is usually dry due to the internal heating in your home. Hardwood floor products tend to lose moisture during the cold season and contract as a result. This leads to the development of thin gaps between the planks of your flooring. Nothing to be alarmed about however, as this typically happens with every hardwood floor during the winter season. With the onset of spring, the moisture levels increase and the gaps formed between the planks close on their own.

In the summer time, the levels of humidity within your home can soar as high as 90%. The rise in humidity affects hardwood floor products and they tend to absorb the moisture present in the air and swell up. The swelling is quite prominent and you will notice that the edges of your hardwood floor products are much higher than its center. This phenomenon is called cupping. Spilt water can also cause cupping to occur as the wood absorbs the moisture and expands. It would take a while for your hardwood floor to flatten itself out on its own after the natural moisture within the wood gets restored.

So how do you prevent cupping from taking place? The moment you notice that your hardwood floor is expanding and the edges are higher than its surface; you should immediately try and figure out the source of the moisture. Cupping can occur due to indoor humidity, flooding or even a plumbing leak. Once the source of moisture is removed, your hardwood floor can be restored back to normal with proper sanding. This would smoothen out the edges and have your precious hardwood floor looking immaculate again.

National Hardwood Flooring is an online retailer of fine hardwood products.

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