How To Keep Your Hardwood Floors Safe During the Winter

Winter and hardwood don’t always mix well. Make sure your home stays in great shape with this guide on how to keep your hardwood floors safe during the winter.

Winter is beautiful. Your hardwood floors are beautiful. Unfortunately, when the two collide, the results can be ugly. Water is a danger to your gorgeous wood flooring, and winter brings a lot of it. From snow-covered boots to humidity troubles, you have many reasons to keep an eye on your floors this season. Fortunately, a little prevention can go a long way in protecting your floors. When you know what rules to follow, you can prevent snow and ice from taking their toll on your home. Learn how to keep your hardwood floors safe during the winter with this expert advice.

Protect Your Entryway

When you come in from the cold, you trek snow, ice, and other moisture onto your hardwood floors. This allows water to seep into the wood, which can cause warping, cupping, and other expensive damage. Take precautions to make sure you aren’t dragging moisture into your home. Put mats at entryways and be sure to take your shoes off before walking further into the home. If you can, try to utilize mudrooms or other entrances that don’t have hardwood flooring.

Don’t Be Salty

Salt is great for melting ice, but it can also ruin the finish on your floors. If you use salt on the porch or front walkway, make sure you take the necessary measures to keep it outside and off your hardwood. Clean off your shoes before stepping inside by placing exterior and interior mats. Stay vigilant with sweeping, vacuuming, and other cleaning measures. You can also invest in alternative melting measures such as heated exterior mats or in-ground systems that keep the slippery ice at bay.

Track Your Humidity

Dry winter air or blasting furnaces affect the humidity levels in your home, which in turn affect your hardwood floors. As such, regulating the humidity in your home plays a huge role in how to keep your hardwood floors safe during the winter. Make sure you keep the interior of your home stable by regulating the humidity. Wood floors do best between 35 and 55 percent humidity. Maintain this with humidifiers to fight off dry winter air or dehumidifiers to clear out moisture caused by running the furnace.