Summer has finally landed on our doorstep and everyone is finally enjoying the first rays of sunshine 🌞. But have you ever wondered how your floors cope in hot weather? It may come as a surprise to some of you, but the warm climate can have a negative effect on certain types of floors. This is why it is important to prepare for the summer weather and to take into account a number of important factors. Not sure how your floors handle heat and what you can do to avoid possible damage? No worries, in this blog we will look at how different types of floors can be affected by hot weather and give you some tips on how to ensure a healthy looking floor. So let’s dive in!
Wooden floors
Wooden floors have many advantages and are loved for their natural beauty and durability. Unfortunately, hot summer weather can be a bit challenging for these floors. Both high temperatures and high humidity levels can damage wooden flooring. The first thing to do is to try and keep the floors out of direct sunlight. Like all natural products, wood is vulnerable to the effects of bright light and the increase in heat can cause the boards to swell and expand. To keep your floors in the best possible condition, we recommend that you keep your blinds and other window coverings closed. Especially on hot days! High temperatures also increase humidity, and as wood absorbs moisture from the air, this can cause the boards to buckle. And we’re sure that you don’t want your floor edges starting rising.
To prevent this, we recommend that you maintain a stable indoor humidity level of around 50%. This will prevent your floors from absorbing too much moisture and will also prevent the boards from drying out in the cold months. It’s a win-win situation 😉.
Vinyl
Vinyl is renowned for its waterproof and moisture resistant properties, so thankfully you don’t have to worry about humidity levels! However, the heat of the summer months can be a real enemy to Vinyl Flooring. If you have dryback vinyl installed in your room, direct heat can weaken the adhesive used to bond the floor. Once the bond between the adhesive and the boards becomes less strong, the edges of the boards may separate from the subfloor. Of course, if you have vinyl with a click system, you don’t have to worry about adhesives. But you should still be aware that direct heat can weaken the click joints, resulting in loose boards. What to do to avoid this? Our first tip is to be careful around windows and other glass furniture. These objects act as a magnifying glass and intensify the heat on the surface of your floor. And just as with wooden floors, make sure you use blinds during the hottest hours!
Laminate
The last type of floor we want to talk about is laminate. Although Laminate floors are not made entirely of wood, the floorboards are made up of compressed wood fibres which react to changes in humidity and temperature. On hot and humid days, laminate can expand, especially in the middle of the board. What’s more, the increased heat can also lead to increased moisture levels, causing the floor to expand further. So if you want your laminate flooring to look as good as it always has, the most important thing to remember is to maintain a consistent temperature in the rooms where the laminate is laying. You can use air conditioning or simple fans, which will do the job perfectly! Ventilation will minimise heat build-up and maintain a comfortable indoor temperature, not only for you, but also for your beloved floors!
What about Hybrid Wood?
If you have Hybrid Wood installed in your homes, you are simply one step ahead 😉. This is because our Hybrid Wood is equipped with Wood Powder Technology, which works like magic in preventing various types of damage to the floor. This unique technology further improves moisture resistance, UV resistance and heat tolerance. However, we still recommend that you use blinds and maintain a stable temperature. This way you will be able to enjoy your floors for yeeeears to come!
In conclusion
Every type of floor has its own challenges during the hot months. And as much as you love the warmth and cosiness that sunlight brings, your floors may not. However, we hope that this blog has given you some insights into how to better care for your floors during the summer, so that they stay in top condition all year round.
