Change is inevitable. It will happen to all things, even those that seem to stay the same year in and year out. It will happen to your hardwood flooring too, even though its aversion to change is a primary selling point. But just how much will it change, and in what ways?
What to Know About Hardwood Flooring Changes
Hardwood Flooring Will Change Shape
One of the quickest and most noticeable shifts hardwood flooring undergoes during its life cycle is a change in shape due to seasonal weather fluctuations. This is most noticeable during the summer when the excess humidity in the air causes the floor to swell and planks to warp and crack. The opposite happens during the winter when floors shrink, creating gaps and loose floorboards. Both of these problems can be maintained by keeping the humidity in your home or office at the correct level. A good rule of thumb is to keep it drier in the summer and a bit more humid during the winter. For the most part, shoot for somewhere between 30-50% relative humidity in both cases.
Your Harwood Flooring Will Change Colors
Do not be surprised if your hardwood flooring changes colors over the years. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on how you feel about the color currently. But make no mistake: the color will change for the same reason residential carpet changes colors – the sun. UV rays will cause the color to fade. If you use rugs, you’ll notice the difference can be fairly extreme. In some cases, the wood will actually darken due to oxidation. This isn’t bad for the health of the wood; it’s simply part of the way wood naturally ages. If you aren’t a fan of the way it looks, or you want to even out the color, you can always put a new finishing coat on the surface or stain it another color entirely.
Hardwood Flooring Will Change Surfaces Over Time
One of the best things about having hardwood flooring is its extremely long lifespan. If properly maintained, it can outlast pretty much every other option, even other long lasting options such as linoleum plank flooring. In fact, repurposing floor boards from old homes is a great way to save money when redoing your flooring. Repurposed hardwood flooring can be sanded down and refinished to remove any surface level scratches, knicks, and dents. A freshly finished surface will ensure the floor lasts for decades into the future.
Hardwood flooring is a reliable and dependable flooring option, but it is a changing and constantly evolving product. Like anything else that changes over time, you might not notice. But when it happens and you decide it’s time to make a change, Ozburn-Hessey will be there to help.
