Floor Boards Separating In Winter

Often it s a floor owner concerned with new hardwood floors separating or gapping.

Floor boards separating in winter.

If it was that big of gaps all over i would say it would not be normal. Almost every wood floor will show some separation between boards particularly in the winter months when homes are heated and the air is dry. Be sure to use natural rope such as jute or cotton because synthetic rope won t accept a stain. While the rope doesn t look like wood you can stain it to blend with the floorboards and the filled gaps will be much less noticeable than the dark empty gaps.

During winter months complaints usually start trickling in. It is normal in the winter month for gaps to increase in general because the humidity in your house is lower and causes the wood to contract. They weren t there in the summer solid 3 4 hardwoods will expand and contract with seasonal changes in moisture. I usually try to keep my house around 40 in the winter.

The wood shrinks because it loses moisture and gaps. Filling large gaps with natural fiber rope is a traditional method commonly used on wide plank floorboards in very old homes. Like jim mentioned you need to check your humidity level. Narrow boards will shrink less than wide boards for a given change in moisture content mc.

So using engineered flooring may be an option for reducing winter time floor issues but check the manufacturer s recommendations and warranty.