Today we will teach you how to deal and prepare with year round seasonal gapping. But first, we’ll explain exactly what occurs during this process.

To help you better understand this phenomenon, we’re going to use our skin as an example. When our own skin loses moisture, we become dried out. When we’re dried out, we’re more susceptible to cracked skin, etc. Hardwood floors are similar in this regard – however, a cracked floor due to severe lack of moisture is very rare.

What’s likely to happen in this scenario is your floors will lose moisture and then shrink in size – causing gaps. This typically occurs during winter when the weather is dry. These gaps tend to close up on their own during summertime when moisture is restored to the boards.

Wider boards will gap more than narrow boards, and some species will shrink less than others (e.g. a 5” Hickory will shrink more than a 5” oak plank). Also, Square edges will show more gaps than a beveled edge.

Now that we’ve briefly described this natural process, we’ll educate you on how to handle the situation.

In-Home Humidifiers – Humidifiers keep the relative humidity (RH) levels in your home at an acceptable range enough to minimize seasonal gapping – 30-50%. The alternative is to accept the gaps and wait until summer for them to close up. We highly recommend investing in a humidifier for your hardwood floors.

Touch-up Pens – you may spot small patches of bare wood showing as a result of the contractions taking place. A color coordinated touch up pen can fill in the color while you wait for summer. See MinWax Touch Up Pens

Fillers – if the gaps are absolutely unacceptable, then filling them with an Adhesive Caulking (i.e. COLOR-RITE) could do the trick. They’re available in many colors and will fill the gaps up to ¼”. If you do not understand what to do, then let a professional take care of this for you.

Pro Tip: If your hardwood floors are in an environment with “humid summers” and “dry winters” with lots of foot traffic/movement, then it is BEST to leave the gaps alone and let the process carry its course.

View our collection of wide plank floors.Wide Plank Flooring Pros

Install time – wide plank floors take up more room per square foot, so naturally it will take less time to fill a room with 7-inch boards as opposed to 3-inch boards. This allows for quicker installation periods, especially when handled by a professional. Budget accommodating – wide plank floors vary greatly in price. Random width flooring is a popular option that falls within most people’s budgets. However, wide plank flooring can become expensive if you want boards that exceed roughly 10-inches. The illusion of more space – wide planks create an illusion that the room you’re in feels larger than it really is. For some, this is a great way to liven up a room. More characteristics – hardwood floors contain natural characteristics. Knots, natural splits, mineral streaks, and other characteristics can be seen easier with wide plank flooring as more of the board is exposed. This is something you cannot get with carpet!

Wide boards have a tendency to shrink and expand simply because they do not have as many seams as narrower boards. This can make it difficult for those who live in environments that fluctuate in temperature often. However, engineered wide plank floors help combat this issue. Engineered wood floors are built to withstand fluctuating temperatures.

Wide plank floors are not as DIY-friendly as you would like. Unless you absolutely know what you’re doing, leave wide plank floor installation to the pros.

As far as “is there such a thing as floors that are too wide?”, well… that’s simply a matter of preference. You can have hardwood floor planks as wide as you can imagine, but price may be your barrier. Also, the wider the floors, the more likely for issues relating to fluctuating internal temperatures.

The Time-tested Traditional

It’s been around forever but painting Easter Eggs is an activity that has stood the test of time. Kits are commonly sold in the local grocery store and directions can be easily followed. We suggest setting up a small area outside to prevent the food coloring from hitting your floors during the process.

To add a little pizzazz, you can even buy a small sticker pack and stick your designs on the Eggs. Children always get a kick out of these. Or you can even buy a small paintbrush and some paint and let their creative side shine. Be sure to compliment them on their designs!

Easter Egg hunts are undoubtedly fun – especially since most families typically use the same eggs that they decorated on their own. However, we want to spice things up.

Glow in the dark.

That’s right! A glow in the dark Easter egg hunt to be performed outside during the night. Here’s what you need: plastic eggs and glow sticks. All you do is break the glow stick, place it into the plastic egg (you may need to tape it shut if it doesn’t budge) and that’s it!

Here’s an idea we doubt you’ve heard of: your child’s own Easter garden. It’s very simple, too. All you need are one type of candy, some lollipops of your choice, and a patch of dirt in your backyard. Jellybeans are perfect.

Have your children plant some jellybeans in the backyard, have them water the patch, and then explain to them how overnight the jellybean will grow into something special. As they are sleeping, place the lollipop of your choice over their planted patches. When morning arrives, let them see the fruits (or candy) of their labor! They’ll be shocked and excited at the same time. Works like a charm.

We hope you enjoy our simple ideas – but most importantly, have a wonderful Easter with your friends and family. If you have an idea of your own, we’d love to hear it!

An example of oak flooring.

If you’ve ever shopped around for hardwood floors, you may have noticed one thing: the presence of oak. It begs the question, “Exactly why is oak such a popular choice for hardwood floors?” Great question. We’ll educate you as to why oak hardwood floors are popular.

Character – oak is known for its character and board length, especially European oak as featured in our Chéne collection. What we mean by character are the knots, streaks, and other natural flooring features unique to the tree the floor came from.

A great example of this is our Shiraz floor as part of our Chéne collection.

Versatility – what we mean by this is that oak is a very traditional, timeless look. As such, it tends to work very well with many décor styles from modern to classic. It’s difficult to find a combination or décor pattern that does not go well with oak.

Abnormalities – because oak has a natural strong grain pattern, it is able to mask abnormalities such as scratches, dents, nicks and other small flooring mishaps better than other flooring types.

Janka Rating – the Janka hardness test is used to measure the hardness of wood floors. Our white oak floors have been rated at 1360. While it isn’t the highest measurement as compared to Brazilian Cherry (2820) it certainly is strong enough to handle moderate to high foot traffic.

Added Home Value – Homebuyers enjoy properties that have features they know will sell. One of those features? Hardwood floors, specifically oak. Why oak? Because they know it’s popular! Read more about how hardwood floors add value to your home.

Trends come and go all of the time, but we believe oak flooring is here to stay and will always be regarded as a go-to choice for hardwood floor consumers. However, you shouldn’t count other flooring types out. Maple, birch, and hickory options are also popular choices and offer their own set of benefits.

Trends are still being set for 2015, but if you’re curious as to what was hot in 2014, then view our post on what homebuyers preferred.

Christmas trees are a wonderful addition to any home during the holiday season simply because they bring back many memories, as well as leave a fresh natural scent in your home. However, many hardwood floor owners are skeptical of placing a real Christmas tree on their luscious hardwood floors in fear of potential damage. Good news: you can sport a fresh, real Christmas tree with hardwood floors!

It is recommended that you purchase a tree stand mat (also called floor protectors), or use a folded towel or blanket, to create a soft base for the tree stand to relax on. This will save you from the possibility of scratches to your hardwood floors.

Pro tip: We suggest shaking as many of the needles out as you can before bringing the tree into your home. Followed by cleaning the area that your tree will be placed in.

Just as rugs are hardwood floor’s best friend, a tree skirt is a Christmas trees’ best friend. You can get fancy with this, but whether you use a tablecloth, plastic sheet, store-bought Christmas tree disposal kit, or something else just make sure you have a tree skirt under the tree to help catch falling needles, as well as prevent water or tree sap from seeping onto your floors.

Falling needles will not damage your floors, but if you or someone else steps on them and begins to drag them around, then there’s always a possibility of scratches.

Make sure you are sweeping any needles off your floor whenever you have the chance. We recommend using a broom over a vacuum to make sure your vacuum does not become damaged.

Pro tip: Have your guests leave their shoes at the door.

It takes a little bit of upkeep maintenance to house a beautiful Christmas tree whether you have hardwood floors or carpet, but it’s all worth it in the end.