What the Iowa swing does to a board
Wood takes up and gives off moisture until it is in balance with the air around it. That balance point is called equilibrium moisture content, and in this climate it swings between roughly 9 percent in August and 6 percent in February.
A board changes width, not length, as that happens. Across a 2-1/4 inch oak strip the seasonal change is small. Across a room of a hundred boards it adds up to a visible amount, and that is what you see at the seams.
- How it is done
- 6–9% moisture content is the working window in this climate
- What goes on the floor
- n/a
- Ready to use
- n/a
- Typical cost
- n/a
- Service life
- the whole life of the floor
The range that keeps a floor still
The number that predicts trouble is not the humidity itself. It is the size of the swing and how fast it happens. A house held between 35 and 55 percent all year has floors that barely move.
That is achievable with a humidifier on the furnace in winter and air conditioning or a dehumidifier in summer. It is the single most effective thing anyone can do for a wood floor in Iowa, and it costs less than one repair.
There is no finish, no product and no species that stops this. Coatings slow moisture exchange. They do not prevent it, and a floor sold to you as stable is a floor whose seller is guessing.
When movement turns into damage
Where it turns from movement into damage is when the moisture comes from one side only. Humidity from a basement or a crawlspace reaches the underside of the boards and not the top, and the floor cups. That is a building problem, not a floor problem.
Where we work
We cover Des Moines, the western suburbs, the Ankeny corridor and the older neighbourhoods inside the city, including and 18 more areas.
Questions we get asked about humidity and hardwood floors in iowa
What humidity should I keep the house at?
Between 35 and 55 percent year round. That range keeps the seasonal movement small enough that you will not notice it.
Will a humidifier help my floors?
In an Iowa winter, yes, and it is the cheapest thing you can do for them.
Is my floor gapping in winter a defect?
Thin even gaps across the whole floor that close again in summer are the floor working normally. Uneven gaps, or gaps that stay open in July, are not.
Get a free estimate
Tell us what you need. We answer the same day, the free estimate is on site, and nobody chases you afterwards.
Get your floor looked at
Call and we will come out, measure, and leave you a written quote. There is no charge for the visit and no obligation afterwards.