Material Stability and Compatibility

All construction materials are not compatible with each other and the different enviroments we expose them to. This can be recognized in a couple different ways. As the humidity in our homes change with the seasons, so will the thickness and length of certain materials in your home. Solid wood products will contract and expand more than composite materials.Wide wood boards can cup easier than a paint grade finger glued board. This is refferred to as a material being more stable than another. Flooring options do have limitations to the enviroment they will be installed in. Certain solid wood flooring species are unstable in humid enviroments while other others remain stable. Always remember to allow wood materials that will be used indoors to acclimate to the homes humidity or lack of. This is done by storing these materials unwrapped in your home allowing it to expand and contract. Once this has happened you can seal and paint it or install it and then seal it. You may have noticed the trim work in your home will develop a thin gap in the dryer winter months and than it disappears in the spring. One other example of expansion and contraction in the home is a door not closing in the summer, but closes fine in the winter. That can be fixed by removing the door and sanding or planing the door where it makes contact at the jamb. First check the screws in the hinges, snug them up, that might be all you need. Once your finished don't leave the wood bare, prime it or paint this will help with future expansion and it looks better too. Wood products that you use in your home may not be compatible in every room. Remember basements are always more humid as are bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens. Check your humidifier in the winter months and pay attention to the humidistat, by adjusting the humidity we can better control the contraction of wood.

Next time we will talk about materials that are not compatible with each other. Did you know you shouldn't drive a plain old, garden variety, steel nail into pressure treated exterior grade wood?