Care guide 1 min read

Humidity, Room Climate & Long-Term Floor Stability

Why a wood floor moves through the year, what is normal, and what to do about the rooms where it is not.

Cause

Seasonal humidity

Normal

Small movement

Measure with

A hygrometer

Most stable

Engineered construction

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What is normal

A wood floor takes moisture from the air when the air is damp and gives it back when the air is dry, changing size slightly as it does. In a British home that follows the heating season, so fine gaps open in winter and close again in summer.

A floor that does this is behaving correctly. It is not a fault and it is not a sign that anything was fitted badly.

When to worry: Cupping, lifting, or a gap that never closes are different. Each has a cause worth finding, and it is usually moisture from below rather than humidity above.

Construction decides the range

The same room treats two floors very differently depending on how they are made.

Solid wood

One piece of timber. The largest seasonal movement, and not suitable over underfloor heating.

Engineered wood

Cross layered core restrains the board, so it holds its width. Suitable over underfloor heating.

LVT

Not affected by humidity at all. It responds to temperature instead.

Managing the room

The aim is not one fixed number. It is avoiding sharp changes.

Put a hygrometer in the room

Read it in January and again in July. Two readings tell you more than any amount of guessing.

Raise heating gradually

Over several days rather than in one step. It is the sudden change that damages timber, not the heat.

Ventilate rather than dry hard

A dehumidifier run aggressively in one room creates exactly the swing you are trying to avoid.

Lower it gradually in spring

Turning underfloor heating off in one step is the same shock in the other direction.

The difficult rooms

Some rooms are harder than others, and it is worth knowing before you order rather than after.

Conservatories

The widest temperature and humidity range in the house. Glue down performs far better than floating here.

New builds

Plaster and screed release water for months. Fitting too early is the most common cause of later movement.

Holiday homes

Long unheated periods followed by sudden heating. Keep a low background temperature instead.

Rooms with a lot of glass

Direct sun heats and dries a floor unevenly. Blinds during the brightest hours help more than they sound like they would.

Difficult room, or a lot of glass?

Conservatories and rooms with wide temperature swings need a different specification. Tell us the room and we will tell you what suits it.

Ask our team Moisture and humidity guide

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