Hardwood Flooring in Hot Climates

What hardwood flooring is best for high humidity?

When it comes to humidity and hardwood, changing moisture levels can be a danger to your floor. When the humidity goes about 55% there’s an increased chance that moisture will seep into the wood, causing the floorboards to swell. Eventually, this can cause floorboards to warp and cup.

In a high humidity climate, the denser the wood the better. Dense wood is more efficient for the high levels of humidity experienced in many locations around North America. Look out for American Beech Walnut and South Beach White Oak Wood Flooring for durable flooring engineered wood options, or for particularly high temperature and humid area, engineered wood is a great option.

Will hardwood floor cupping go away?

Have the edges of your hardwood planks become slightly raised? This is a common phenomenon called cupping. Swelling and expansion occur in humid weather, and the changes in moisture can lead to crowning and buckling. 

It’s important to get to the root cause of the problem before you can amend the situation. Identify where the moisture is coming from. It could be a plumbing leak or an overflowing dishwasher. In minor cases, the cupping is likely to go away. In major cases, seek a flooring

Why is my wooden floor rising?

Have you noticed that your wood floor is bulging and rising? This is a common problem. Wood is a totally natural product, and swelling and expansion occur in humid weather. It is therefore important when installing wood floors to leave an expansion gap. 

If you’re experiencing problems with rising floorboards it is possible it was not installed with an expansion gap.

Does temperature effect laminate flooring?

You may be surprised to learn that changes in temperature can affect laminate floors too. 

Laminate flooring generally requires constant year-round humidity and temperature levels to keep it looking its best. Therefore, laminate works best in a domestic setting that is heated in the winter. Laminate flooring is also prone to rising and cupping so should always be installed with an expansion gap.

Why is my wood floor buckling?

Buckling is an extreme reaction to moisture in a wood floor. Buckling is when the wood floor begins to pull up from the subfloor and lift away. This is not a common occurrence and usually happens when an area has been flooded for an extended period. 

The good news is that when buckling is caught early it can be spot repaired or replaced. The floorboards may need to be removed to allow air to circulate and remove moisture.

What is the best flooring for a beach house?

Living near water can offer a few structural challenges when it comes to flooring. Although hardwood may not seem like an obvious choice to withstand moisture – it is possible to achieve the classic look of hardwood without the risk of cupping and rising.

Choosing a dense variety of hardwood will prevent too much water being absorbed into the wood. Or the most practical and long-lasting choice would be a variety of engineered hardwood flooring – the most popular choice for beach homes. 

When properly sealed, these hardwoods can withstand moisture for years to come and are a perfect choice high-humidity environments and beach houses.

For more information, watch our video tutorial about the “Effects of Changes in Weather on your Wooden Floors and How You Can Prevent Them“.