Preserve Woodwork

Lack of humidity control can wreak havoc on any material in your home that absorbs and releases moisture, making it difficult to preserve woodwork. This includes your wood floors and wood furnishings, which all contain an unfixed amount of water.

The amount of water in your home's wood varies greatly depending on the relative humidity (RH) level of your indoor air. If RH is too low, your indoor air will absorb water from the wood, causing it to shrink. If RH is too high, the wood will take on moisture, causing it to swell.

When indoor RH changes quickly, the dimensions of woodwork, floorboards, and wood furnishings change rapidly. Warping and cracking can occur.

This is why maintaining optimum RH levels is important. Industry experts recommend keeping your home's relative humidity levels between 30-60% to preserve woodwork, cabinetry, and furniture, among other things.

Too much humidity in your home can cause:

• Swollen wood framing around doors and windows
• Warping or rotting wood floors, trim and wood furniture 
• Mold and mildew on wood and elsewhere

Too little humidity in your home can cause:

• Cracking woodwork and wood floors
• Loose or failing joints on wood furniture
• Out-of-tune pianos and other musical instruments

"Seasonal and even daily changes in humidity cause wood parts to swell and shrink, affecting tuning stability and touch. Extreme swings in humidity can eventually cause wood to crack and glue joints to fail...Maintaining the correct environment will preserve your piano investment for a lifetime of enjoyment." - Piano Technicians Guild

Aprilaire Helps You Preserve Woodwork in Your Home With Total Humidity Control

Aprilaire whole-home humidifiers and whole-home dehumidifiers help you protect your home and belongings by automatically maintaining optimum humidity levels. Learn about how to preserve wood in your home today.