Moisture Can Affect Floors During Summer Heat

Summer heat can cause problems for wood floors and subfloors in many raised-floor homes.

According to The Advocate Staff Report, there is not a one-size-fits-all remedy, but understanding the combination of factors that cause the problem reveals the most cost-effective solutions.

Raised floors get wet in summer because of the combination of cool air conditioning and impermeable floor finishes in a humid climate.

It is important to understand how moisture moves from warmer to cooler and from wetter to dryer areas. Air-conditioning a home in hot, humid weather creates a strong water vapor drive from outside to inside. Very cool air conditioning also can cool the subfloor to below the outdoor dew point, which causes moisture to condense on the subfloor. That wetness amplifies the problem.

The colder the air conditioning, the worse the problem.

Hot, humid air outdoors picks up added moisture from soil, which then condenses on the cool subflooring and tries to move inward. Typical insulation methods, such as fiberglass batts, make it worse because the subfloor stays cooler. Cupping occurs and the subfloor moisture problem worsens when there is impermeable flooring, such as vinyl, laminate or a typical polyurethane finish on wood. When the floor finish is impermeable, moisture can’t get through it, so the subfloor just gets wetter and wetter all summer.

Click here or the link below to read more on how to keep your floors healthy this summer season.