If the moisture content of a wood product changes by 4%, it will either expand or shrink by 1%. This may not seem like much, but it can still negatively affect wood-based projects. You may find that wood pieces won't fit together.
This issue can also affect any hardwood floor installation on your stairs. This is why hardwood floor installers install hardwood during certain months. The ideal conditions during these months will ensure that the wood boards will fit together perfectly.
This article will tell you when to install hardwood stairs. Read on!
It Varies Between Areas
This article could name some specific months that are best for installing hardwood stairs. However, these may not be the best fit for your area.
Climates vary across U.S. states. April in Minnesota is not April in Texas. Therefore, when finding the right hardwood installation months, you should focus on what specific conditions occur in your state of residence.
So what conditions should you look at?
Low and High Humidity
Wood expands the most when the air around it has high humidity. Wood tends to absorb any moisture that's present in the air. When there's a lot of water in the air, wooden doors, floors, furnishings, etc. will expand further.
Based on what you've learned, you may think that the month with the least humidity in your area is the ideal time to install wood floors. However, it's a bit more complex than that.
Dryness Is Bad Too
When wood becomes dry, it shrinks. This won't affect how well different wooden boards fit together. However, the shrinking may affect the wood's integrity.
Extended dry conditions can cause wooden boards to splinter, crack, and split. So if you get a hardwood floor installed at the beginning of the dry season, it could be destroyed by the end of it.
Yes, wood that manufacturers have treated and exposed to dry air shouldn't struggle with this issue. But don't rely on that too much.
Medium Amount of Humidity
Therefore, a professional hardwood installer should work during times of medium humidity levels. Yes, the exact months when this is done can differ between states. However, there are some commonalities.
Spring and Fall
For most Mid-West and Eastern states, the summer months are when their residents experience the highest humidity. For many Western states, the opposite is true. But both of these areas experience mid-level humidity at similar times.
Spring is the season when coldness turns into warmth. Fall is the season when warmth turns into coldness. Thus, for most of these seasons, their temperatures are in the mid-range.
Since temperatures affect humidity, seasons with mid-range temperatures should also have mid-range humidity. At the very least, it will be mid-range relative to each state's typical humidity levels. These seasons should contain the best hardwood floor installation months.
Different Falls and Springs
Keep in mind, though, that you shouldn't just choose any month in spring or fall. Humidity and temperature can still vary within a single season. For instance, your area may experience a March with higher humidity levels than April.
Unfortunately, you can't predict the humidity levels for the upcoming fall and spring seasons. However, you can look up past climate data in your area and make an educated guess about future humidity levels.
Home Humidity Levels
Don't be too nervous if you're struggling to find the right month. The humidity levels inside your home aren't necessarily the same as the levels outside it. This is even more likely if you have climate control devices in your home.
Monitor Your Home Humidity
If you have highly effective climate control devices and a very sealed and insulated home, you may not even have to worry about the weather at all. Consider buying a humidity monitor to see just how much humidity your home regularly has. Once humidity levels are lower, you can hire a hardwood floor installer.
Get Climate Control Devices
What if your home isn't climate controlled? If this is the case, you may want to look into modifying your home and getting the devices to make this possible. Doing this can help you be more comfortable in your home as well.
Listen to Installer's Advice
What if you aren't sure if your home has the appropriate humidity levels? If so, consider calling a nearby hardwood installation company. They can give you some worthwhile advice on the matter.
Consider the Slow Season
Having a home with great humidity control can also put you in a very advantageous position. You can access hardwood floor installers during times when service demand is low. There are two ways you can benefit from installing hardwood stairs at this time.
Money Savings
Most services tend to charge more when the demand is high. They do this partly to cut down on the amount of jobs that they get. If they set their prices too low, they could quickly become overwhelmed.
This isn't the case during the slow seasons. It's harder for them to find work then. To get enough work, companies will often offer special deals.
You can take advantage of these savings.
Slower Work
Slower work isn't necessarily bad work. Workers will often work steadily when they're trying to do a better job. But when they have to serve several houses in a week, they don't have the leeway to work more steadily.
In the slower season, however, they do have that time. So you'll get better quality work then.
We're Installing Hardwood on Stairs
As you can see, finding the right time for installing hardwood on stairs only takes a few steps. Once you get your hardwood installed in the right month, you won't need to worry about your hardwood floor integrity.
However, you need to hire high-quality hardwood floor installers to create your hardwood stairs. If you don't, you could end up with other problems. This includes wooden boards coming loose and losing their shine quickly.
We at National Floors Direct can give you the hardwood floor installation you deserve. Get a free in-home estimate by filling out this form.
