Keeping the Winter Blues Away from Your Woodwork
by Courtney Keiser
article used with permission of Welcome HOME magazine
If you’re suffering from the cold, dry consequences of winter, chances are your woodwork is, too.
“Wood is like a sponge and it will acclimate to the moisture in the air. If extra moisture enters the wood, then it’ll swell up like a sponge does when it gets wet. If less moisture is present, then the wood will start to shrink up,” explains Dave McGrath from Fine Line Woodworks in Bondurant, Iowa.
Many homeowners don’t know that humidity control is a vital part of caring for woodwork. Take a good look around your home. If you see hairline cracks or crevices in your hardwood floors and gaps in the molding or your floors begin to creak, your home is lacking moisture.
Kathy Barnum of Barnum Floors in Des Moines, Iowa, says that these changes are most likely taking place everywhere in your home. “The trim around your windows may shrink and separate, for example. Wood is a natural product and it will move based on the amount of moisture or lack thereof. When the furnace is running constantly, it takes all of the moisture out of your home,” she explains.
If you discover cracks in your hardwood floors, furniture or somewhere else, don’t panic. The problem will most likely correct itself in the spring when the air has more moisture. However, McGrath advises homeowners to take the necessary precautions to minimize the problem.
“The cracks will swell shut when the moisture is regained, but the wood is still broken,” he explains. “In a radical change from high humidity to low humidity, the areas for expansion could meet their capacity and the wood will fracture. This damage is commonly seen in antiques.”
If the furniture is well constructed, there should be extra room to allow for contraction and expansion, McGrath adds.
To fight dryness and keep your hardwood floors and furniture looking great, use a stand-alone humidifier in your home unless your furnace has a humidifier component – then just make sure it’s turned on in the winter. According to McGrath, the rate of wood movement from season to season can’t be stopped, but it can be moderated.
Barnum adds, “Wood floors perform best if your humidity range is between 30 and 50 percent.” You can use a hygrometer in your home to measure the humidity levels.
As with all home maintenance, it’s the homeowners’ responsibility to do their part to preserve the beauty of their woodwork. Dave McGrath advises: “Make it a goal to make the average humidity in your home moderate and avoid radical changes. You must be aware that excessive heat, light and moisture will damage wood furniture, floors and finishes. The environment in the home should be controlled.
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