Timber flooring during Sydney’s recent rainy spell

Imagine throwing a plank of timber into a swimming pool. As days pass you will see it swell and soften quite dramatically. That’s because timber is absorbent. Water gets into its pores and makes it swell. Of course, moisture in the air is never going to be as devastating to your timber floors as a complete flooding. But it does have a significant effect. An effect that a capable flooring business should make you aware of, and have a plan for managing during the installation.

Unlike concrete, vinyls or other varieties of floor coverings, timber is a natural product. It responds to the environment around it.

There will always be moisture in the air in Sydney. Even in our driest years. Humidity is simply a measure of the moisture content inside the air in the environment. Some of the most humid days are freezing cold, rainy days. 

This period of extensive rain has been exceptional. Which means that timber floors are swelling and expanding more than we have ever seen in Sydney before.

Letting the timber adjust to the environment of the room prior to being laid is a vital stage in our timber floor installation process. It gives the timber time to expand or contract so that it is optimized to the conditions of the room before being glued or blind-fastened to the subfloor. 

But what if you are having a new timber floor installed during a time of above average moisture in the air such as now? 

That’s where craftsmanship and experience are vital. Many less experienced businesses will allow the timber to adjust for a standard amount of time. And then assume that the timber had adjusted to the ‘normal’ conditions of the room. This approach is never going to give you the best result.

The correct technique is part feel, part science. We’ll use a table to decide what tolerances need to be built into the installation so the gaps that appear in more ‘normal’ times won’t be too wide. 

Also, depending on the type of timber we are using for the floor, it’s entirely possible that the planks wouldn’t have expanded to their full extent in the time they have been on site. We will discuss this in more detail in the next section. In summary though, just because it has stopped raining doesn’t mean that your timber will stop expanding immediately. That’s another variable we take into account.

You want your floors to last a lifetime. And that’s only going to happen if they are installed with the proper care and expertise to make sure your project is prepared for every weather condition. Including the one that is happening during the install.

When you use Know-How Flooring for your timber flooring project in Sydney, you can be assured that we will bring all of our knowledge and experience to the table to make sure that your floor looks amazing, and avoids the pitfalls that we see all too often in existing flooring projects.

The softest timbers are typically the most susceptible to air-borne moisture. But if wet, high-humidity conditions remain for a long enough period of time, even the hardest natural woods will experience some swelling and expansion.

It can be slowed down further by the finish that’s applied to the timber, but no matter which product you use, some expansion is inevitable.

It’s interesting that while harder timber floors are slower to be affected by high humidity. They are also slower to release the moisture back in the air. Once the humidity has dropped off, it can still take up to a month for the timber to shed that excess moisture.

As well, if you choose an engineered flooring product you’ll pleased to know that the best examples are manufactured in a way that minimises their susceptibility to moisture.

Customers regularly request gap-free timber flooring. In response to this demand several manufacturers have produced engineered products that they claim can achieve this result. Essentially, they produce planks at the lower range of accepted moisture content guidelines. 

Periods of high moisture, such as the one we have just been experiencing, cause enormous expansion-related problems with these products. 

An appropriate expansion allowance is a must. The owner must understand that shrinkage gaps are normal in dry weather. And that expansion during wet weather is inevitable. No matter what the manufacturer or a less-experienced installer might claim.

The gaps between the timber board are a natural part of your timber flooring. 

It should also be noted that there are certain putties that can be applied to the gaps in your timber flooring that can provide a gapless look, but will compress and release as your timber naturally adjusts to the moisture content in the air. It is not a flawless solution. After all, in periods of excessive moisture you might see the putty being squeezed from the gaps between the timber planks. However, if it is very good quality, you can expect that putty to return to normal when the expanded timber begins to revert to it’s normal size.

At Know-How Flooring Sydney, we only ever supply the highest quality timber flooring products. We are all too aware of the potential pitfalls to ever recommend anything else.

Prevention is better than the cure. But there are some things you can do to help your floors.

• Dehumidifiers

A dehumidifier can extract moisture from a room and slow the rate of expansion. It isn’t practical to run a dehumidifier 24 hours a day, but it might be worth running it for an hour a day or so with the room completely shut up from the outside. It isn’t a quick cure but can make a meaningful difference. Air conditioning isn’t quite as effective as dehumidifiers, but they can also help extract moisture from a room.

• Remedial work

It might be tempting to call a timber flooring business when your floors are peaking or bucking to ask them to sand it down to restore its flatness. But we encourage you to wait until the weather conditions have dried up. You might be flattening a floor that is destined to contract back to its original state. The net result could be further unsightly warps and raised edges.

• Give us a call and we’ll advise the best course of action

There are many different solutions for each different type of timber flooring. Some are more effective. And of course, some are more expensive. Get in touch with Zsolt at Know-How Timber Flooring Sydney and we’ll take a close look at your issues and advise the best way forward for your budget.