Relative humidity
Also called RH
The amount of water vapour in the air relative to what that air could hold at its temperature — the environmental variable a hardwood floor actually responds to.
Toronto indoor relative humidity runs from 18–25% at the winter low to above 60% at the summer high. The safe operating band for hardwood is 35–55%.
The gap between those numbers is the whole problem. A floor specified without reference to that range was specified for a different city, and a floor handed over without a stated operating band has no defensible warranty boundary in either direction.
Related
Terms this one depends on
- HygroscopicDescribes a material that exchanges moisture with the surrounding air continuously, rather than reaching a fixed state.
- AcclimationThe period during which flooring material equalises to the conditions of the room it will be installed in — a minimum of 72 hours, in the actual conditioned space.
- CuppingA board whose edges sit higher than its centre — the visible record of moisture entering the floor from below.
- Seasonal gappingVisible gaps that open between boards as the floor contracts, typically in a dry Toronto winter.
Provenance
Where this definition comes from
Framework pillars this term is material to
If you are dealing with this on a real floor: floor restoration, or get a fixed written price after a measure.
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