Install Hardwood In Summer Or Winter

We are now finishing an 18x18 foot addition that has a crawl space underneath.

Install hardwood in summer or winter.

Some people think that it s better to install a wood floor in the hot humid summer when the wood planks are at their largest and have gaps in the winter than to install it tight during the winter when it s at its smallest and have it swell or buckle when summer and humidity come back. And this is a good opportunity to get the whole installation process done as many of us go on vacation in this period. That s why a professional installer of hardwood flooring always leaves little gaps between the boards if they lay wood floors during winter. Winter usually means your furnace is running full steam and that dry air has little to no moisture in it.

What does that mean for winter installations. Like any other organic or natural product wood also absorbs moisture because it is highly porous. If the hardwood flooring installation is done either in the summer or the spring then your floors might become vulnerable to distortion as these seasons have the highest humidity levels. A smart installation team will also let the wood acclimate in the house for a while to make sure it s all uniform in size and moisture retention.

Since summer also tends to be the hottest time of year you ll have to contend with temperature related issues too. An obvious reason for having a floor installed in winter is the fact that it s frequently easier to get the installers to do the work during winter vacation than in the summer. But our hardwood that was supposed to be here last month will finally be here next week and after letting it acclimate a couple weeks it ll be early summer. Your hardwood installer must check and regulate the humidity in your home so the air is humid enough that the wood doesn t shrink.

We would like to install some type of hardwood or engineered hardwood on the floors but we re concerned about having no heat in the cabin through the winter months and what that might do to the flooring. For this reason it is usually recommended that you install hardwood floors during the cold months. Fall is a perfect season for hardwood flooring installation because the cool crisp weather exposes your hardwood flooring to less moisture. Similar to spring installing hardwood flooring without sufficient acclimation during the summer could lead to substantial swelling warping and distortion.

In winter your home loses moisture. It is a good idea to keep a dehumidifier around in the summer just to make certain there is not excessive moisture in the air. You probably have heard that wood expands in the humid conditions of summer and spring and then contracts in winter dryness. I had heard that because wood expands with humidity summer and contracts with dryness winter it was better to install it in the winter when you could get it as tight as possible.