5 Ways to Keep Your New Hardwood Flooring Warm During the Winter
Solid timber flooring makes a beautiful addition to any room. However, one of its chief drawbacks is that it tends to remain cool to the touch, which can become unpleasant during the winter months. Luckily enough, you can still install solid hardwood flooring without worrying about freezing your feet when winter rolls around. All you need to do is follow these five steps.
1. Use Underfloor Heating
Underfloor heating is an ideal way to keep your home nice and cosy when the temperatures start to drop, but it can be a little tricky with solid wood flooring. Underfloor heating will change the moisture content of your wood, which can result in gaps, and wood that is too thick or dense may create a barrier through which not enough heat can pass. That said, it is entirely possible to use underfloor heating; just make sure you discuss this option with your supplier to make sure you use a variety and thickness of wood that will work well.
2. Install Underfloor Insulation
If you're not sure about using underfloor heating, which can be expensive if used across larger floor spaces, make sure you at least add thick underfloor insulation before the floorboards are installed. This will help keep the floor noticeably warmer, and it will also help prevent any draughts rising through the boards. As an added bonus, you're likely to find that your heating costs will decrease.
3. Mind the Gaps
During winter, the decrease of moisture in the air can cause the floorboards to shrink slightly, which can create gaps. Gaps may also occur if the floor has not been recently sealed. This will become a problem during colder weather since draughts of cold air will be able to drift up through the flooring, making both the boards and the room itself far harder to keep warm. If you notice this issue occurring, you should reseal the floor; if it persists, consider picking up a humidifier.
4. Add Area Rugs
Even if you use underfloor insulation and prevent any gaps from forming between boards, hardwood flooring is still likely to remain cooler to the touch than carpet. To help prevent this, you can use area rugs during the winter and then store them again when the sun starts to shine warmer. Placing a large rug across the centre of the room will help keep the flooring warm, and you can use runners across high-traffic areas to keep your feet from getting chilly.
5. Cut Down on Draughts
It isn't just the draughts that come from under the floor that you need to worry about. Draughts that come in through the cracks surrounding your windows or the areas beneath your doors can also cause issues; since hot air rises, those cold draughts will be directed downwards, making the floor hard to cool no matter how high the radiators are turned up. Check for gaps around windows and buy draught excluders to place at the bottom of your doors.