Wood Flooring Treatments In The Summer Months

Wood is a natural product and thus any changes in the level of temperature or humidity, or impact of sunlight can affect it, causing damage. Due to variations in terms of the above factors, summer is a period when different things can happen to your wood flooring, while it responds to changing ambient conditions.

Sunrays affecting the floor

The first important factor which poses a threat to your floor is light from the sun. Increased amount of light can be a cause of serious problems, affecting not only your wood flooring, but also all your wood furnishings. This problem can be tackled in two possible ways. The first solution is to prevent the light from getting at your floors to the maximum possible extent. The second method is to use preventive treatment, which will guarantee than your floors stand up better to the impact of sunlight. However, a perspective of living in a house with the curtains constantly closed during summer isn’t very appealing, so applying proper treatment measures seems to be a much better option.

The negative effects of the sun can be minimised thanks to applying the right UV finish on the floor. Dark floors, which have enjoyed greater popularity for some time now, require better protection against the sun as compared to light floors. But in general, regardless of the floor type, it should be possible to get a proper high-quality UV finish, which will ensure your floor is protected against the sun. Should you be in any doubt as to what products might work for your floor, remember to consult a professional, for instance your flooring provider.

Dust and grit

Secondly, because of higher temperatures and drier atmosphere, more dust is accumulated in the summer time as compared to other seasons. Wood flooring can get seriously damaged by dust and grit, due to the fact that they act as an abrasive and effectively sand the finish off the floor if you’re not careful and thorough enough when cleaning the floor. A good solution to reduce the negative impact of a higher amount of dust and grit brought into the home in summer is getting a good doormat. Top quality doormat will help you get rid of a significant amount of dust and grit from your soles, as it can cause serious damage to your floor. Moreover, you should also remember about regular vacuuming in order to remove any dirt particles which got into your house, posing a threat to your floor.

High temperature and humidity

Other major problems regarding your floor you may encounter in summer are increased temperatures and humidity. Temperature and humidity fluctuations can cause damage to your floor, even if installed by a professional, and this in may cause cupping or buckling. When wood flooring absorbs moisture from the surroundings, it expands, and therefore it may warp. Air is usually drier over a full day, which means the moisture content is lower than it is naturally during winter, but is subject to significant fluctuations during each day. When it comes to rising and falling humidity levels during a typical summer’s day – morning and evening dew is perfect evidence here. For the purpose of combating the heat, artificial cooling or air conditioning equipment is often used and you start noticing the issues that might affect the wood floor. In general, cooling equipment can again have a negative effect on your wood flooring, which results in a huge amount of condensation.

So, remember about your floor, especially in the summer months!