How Does Cold Weather Affect Your Flooring?

Winter is fully upon us. As you prepare your home for the cold season, do not forget your floor.  Cold temperatures can affect your floor. Muddy slush and sand that sticks to your floor when they’re walked on can leave unsightly scars, dents, and scratches, impacting its aesthetic appeal.

Here are some other ways cold weather can affect different types of floors and what you can do to keep them clean and intact.

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Wood is a natural material. A sudden drop in temperature and humidity levels can negatively impact hardwood floors. When temperatures plummet, the wooden planks in your hardwood floor naturally contract. Running your furnace can cause the humidity levels in your home to fall. As the indoor air dries out, your floor will also dry and shrink.

When your floor dries, gaps or cracks can open up between hardwood flooring boards. Once temperature and humidity levels rise, hardwood will absorb moisture and your floor will revert to its former state.

Gaps opening up between hardwood flooring boards is hardwood’s natural response to a dip in temperature. Some shrinkage and small gaps aren’t a matter of concern unless they are excessive, don’t go away with time, or get worse over time. If you notice excessive wear and tear on your hardwood floor, consult a flooring installation contractor near you.

A humidifier can help address the problem to some extent. Your humidifier will help maintain the ideal humidity levels throughout your home. If you cannot add a humidifier into your heating system, go for a standalone humidifier and a hygrometer.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is manufactured by topping dense fiberboard, plywood, or plastic core with a clear plastic protective layer.

Cold weather does not affect plastic, and plywood is far less responsive to temperature changes than hardwood, but fiberboard can warp when temperatures plummet. To prevent this from happening, keep your laminate floors clean.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring is manufactured by gluing and pressing multiple layers of wood plies. Each layer is known as lamina.

Cold weather can take a toll on engineered wood flooring. To prevent physical degradation caused by dry air and cold temperatures and to keep your floor clean, install mats at entryways and wipe spills and puddles as soon as they occur.

To prevent unsightly scratches and scars, install furniture pads. Periodically wiping, mopping, and sweeping your floor will minimize dust buildup.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl floors are made from synthetic plastic resin. If you have vinyl flooring, you’re in luck. Vinyl does not shrink or expand like natural wood when indoor humidity levels change. To keep your vinyl floor clean, mop and vacuum it regularly. Do not use too much water, abrasive cleaners, or abrasive tools.Rugworks is a renowned flooring installation contractor near you in Sonoma County.We use our experience and expertise to create value for our customers and their homes. To learn more, call (707) 935-0648.