pg. 7
Both of these issues can be minimized by maintaining an environment
that is consistently between 60
humidity. Significant fluctuations outside these ranges can result in
cupping or gaps.
How Moisture Affects Hardwood
Woven Bamboo Flooring
Wood and Bamboo flooring is a natural product that responds to humidity variations by expanding and
contracting even though the wood has been dried, cut and processed into flooring. Sometimes these
changes may be noticeable. During warm and humid summers wood expands. Du
hardwood contracts. This seasonal movement is normal for hardwood flooring. The best way to reduce
such movement is by installing humidity controls and making sure that they function before flooring is
installed.
Wood and bamboo is a hygroscopic mate
will dry or pick up moisture until it is in equilibrium with the humidity and temperature of the air. Moisture
absorption causes wood or bamboo
floors begins at 25-30% moisture content. Swelling occurs as
from 0% to 25-30% moisture content. Above 25%
Hardwood or Strand Woven bamboo
moisture content of a flooring piece from 0% to 28% will increase the size of the piece approximately
0.1% along the
length
of the board, and 5% to 15% change in size in
flooring.
Winter Time
In the winter time when homes are heated and the air is dry, the
and contracts as a result. When this happens, thin gaps can appear between planks. This is normal, and
a homeowner should be prepared for it to occur. Once indoor heating is turned off in the spring and
humidity levels rise again, most of the gaps will close up.
-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and 30
And Strand
ring dry winter weather,
rial. This means that when wood or bamboo is exposed to air, it
to swell. Moisture loss causes the floors to shrink. Shrinkage of the
the floors increases in moisture content
-30% the floors are dimensionally stable.
does not shrink or swell equally in all directions. A chan
width
of the strip with plain sawn
flooring gives up some of its moisture
-65%
ge in
