Timber Floor Sydney
Timber floors can be damaged by humidity in the air, or by moisture that gets in under the floor. Despite their resilience in other ways, for timber floors will last for decades, water can be a big problem.
Timber is organic, and has a certain natural moisture content. If this moisture contents changes, if water soaks in from the surroundings, the timber planks can start to change shape. The planks warp, bend, expand, and the floor becomes uneven. Part of the change of shape comes from individual boards changing shape, part from the expanding boards pushing against eachother.
The moisture content of the air in the home is something we should be careful about. Ideally it should be between 35% and 55%. This is ideal for human inhabitants. It is also ideal for timber floors. Occasionally the humidity need to be different if their is a musical instrument like a piano in the room. But this tend to not be a problem if the humidity is stable.
We can er a rough measure of humidity with a hygrometer, available from hardware stores.
If the humidity is too high the timber floors will absorb moisture and expand. We can lower the humidity by using air conditioning or a dehumidifier.
If the humidity is too low the floor boards may dry out and crack. We can raise the humidity with indoor plants or by sing a humidifier.
It helps to have the timber intended for the floor to be stored in the room for a few days before installation. The timber will adjust to the humidity of the room and expand or contract before installation. This is preferable to expanding or contracting after it has been put in place.
Timber Floor Sydney
Stable conditions in the home, stable humidity, helps timber floors stay flat and even. Under reasonable conditions timber floors will last for decades.
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