What to do if hardwood flooring gets too dry

What to do if hardwood flooring gets too dry

You love your hardwood flooring. It's elegant, adds warmth and charm to a room, and is easy to care for.

But wood is porous and is affected as much by a too–dry atmosphere as one that’s too moist. A dry floor will crack, splinter, become brittle and be hard to work with.  

As a result, your wood floors won't look as beautiful and smooth as they usually would. Also, dry floors get damaged much faster, so warping could occur.

Protecting your wood floors


Maintaining humidity levels should be 35-55%, with temperatures between 60-80 degrees F.

  1. Use adequate window coverings. Keep the wood flooring away from direct heat and the sun's UV rays.  

Many come with remote controls. That means you can close blinds or shades during the hottest hours.

  1. Use humidifiers when the level dips below 35%. This helps to eliminate gapping.

How do I monitor humidity?


Easy! Use a hygrometer.  

You can buy one that measures humidity for about $10 at hardware and home improvement stores.

Can I repair the floors once it happens?


Sometimes. One way is to apply a water-based polyurethane finish.  

We can't emphasize this enough, though, a hardwood flooring expert must assess the damage first. But, done correctly, your hardwood floors in Cincinnati, OH, will be restored to their original luster.

Now let's get you into our showroom!


You'll see many products, such as Homestead Roots by Doma. You'll also see many other brands, such as Proximity Mills, Newton, Shaw, and Paradiso. 

They come in many species, such as oak, hickory, maple, walnut, etc. Textures include wire-brushed, hand-scraped, brushed, and smooth.

Cincinnati’s top wood flooring source


Bush’s Flooring Center is family-owned, and we combine those values with technical expertise to give you the best products and services on the planet! We guarantee you'll be thrilled with your hardwood flooring installation!

Find out why
we're the most trusted flooring source in Cincinnati, OH. We service homeowners and businesses in Cincinnati, Montgomery, Mason, and Loveland.