You just stepped inside after a long day trudging through snow drifts. Your boots are soaked through, you lean your damp umbrella against the wall. Just another day of winter, right?
But look again – you’ve left several puddles in your wake. Each one of those, if not promptly cleaned, could cost you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in flooring repairs.
Winter brings a whole lot more risks to you and your home than cold weather and frosted windows. It constantly invites moisture into your home in ways you might overlook: melting snow, dripping ice, rock salt, and indoor condensation. All of these can seep into your floors and cause destruction with ruthless efficiency.
This winter, don’t let winter moisture take a toll on your home’s floors. Whether you have hardwood, vinyl, carpet, or tile, we’ll teach you the simple yet effective ways of preventing moisture damage to floors in winter months.
How Moisture Damages Different Flooring Types
Every type of flooring reacts differently to moisture exposure. Let’s first get some insight into how each major flooring type suffers during winter:
- Hardwood Floors: Winter moisture loves to sabotage the beautiful investment that is a hardwood floor. The wood absorbs moisture easily and causes unsightly warping or cupping. The cold and dry air of winter also makes the wood contract, which leaves obvious gaps between individual planks. And possibly worse: melted snow mixed with salt can scratch your surface’s finish, leaving your floors looking worn and dull.
- Carpeted Floors: Your carpets add coziness to your home in winter, but they can also harbor mold and mildew. Any moisture tracked in can soak into the fibers and underlay, which invariably leads to discoloration, a musty smell, and the potential need for replacement.
- Vinyl and Laminate Floors: While these types of floors are more durable against moisture, they aren’t invincible. Excess moisture, especially from melting snow or spills, seeps into their seams. This can cause curling, warping, or separation from the floor. Any time water makes its way beneath the individual planks or strips, mold and mildew can thrive and compromise your floor’s integrity.
- Tile Floors: If you have tile floors, you might think you’re totally safe during the harsh winter months. But moisture can easily affect grout (the glue that holds your tiles together). Grout is porous and vulnerable to moisture. Over time, your grout lines can stain and even crumble, which is especially true if you accidentally track ice-melt chemicals inside.
Preventative Measures for Protecting Floors in Winter
The cold and wet of winter seems inevitable, but damage to your floors doesn’t have to be. With a few smart habits and strategies, you can keep moisture at bay and your floors looking their best.
The First Line of Defense
Preventing moisture damage to floors in winter is all about creating a barrier at every entryway. Front and back doors are the worst spots in your home for tracked-in snow, slush, and salt, so you must ensure it stops there. First, find high-quality mats – coarse ones outside for brushing off debris and something more absorbent for soaking up moisture inside.
Then, place a boot tray at each entry and exit. Encourage family and guests to take off their shoes at the door. This will both reduce moisture on your floors and reduce the amount of abrasive debris like dirt and salt that scratches your delicate surfaces.
Daily Maintenance Practices
No matter what you do, it’s still possible for winter to find its way inside. You’ll need to stay on top of daily maintenance, in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines, if you want to keep everything tidy and prevent any potential damage before it starts.
If you have hardwood floors, use a soft-bristle broom or microfiber dust mop to remove grit. Use a slightly damp mop to remove any lingering residue, but do not soak the wood. If there’s ever snow or spills, quickly blot the area with a dry towel to absorb moisture.
If you have carpets, invest in a high-quality vacuum cleaner with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. They’re great for sucking up salt and dirt that embeds itself in carpet fibers. If there’s a spill, use a clean cloth to blot (not rub) the area. Apply carpet-safe cleaner for any stubborn stains.
Vinyl and laminate floors still need plenty of TLC. Make sure to sweep and vacuum regularly, and mop with a cleaner appropriate for your flooring type. Avoid harsh chemicals and drenching your floors in water as too much can weaken adhesives.
For tile and even stone floors, your main goal is to protect the grout. You’ll need a neutral pH cleaner to scrub away dirt. Avoid acidic solutions that degrade grout lines over time. And if you start noticing ice-melt residue, clean with a mixture of warm water and mild dish soap to prevent any discoloration.
Which kind of flooring do you have? Would you like to learn more about your flooring material options as a homeowner? How much would it cost for you to fully upgrade from your current flooring to beautiful new floors? The Empire® team has all the answers you’re looking for – schedule a FREE in-home estimate today and we’ll help you find the flooring you’ve been dreaming of!
Controlling Humidity
The big problem with the winter months is how rapidly things shift from super dry to damp. Thus, you’ll need to maintain a consistent indoor humidity level between 30 percent and 50 percent. Doing so will prevent moisture damage to floors in winter far better than letting nature take its course.
Invest in a humidifier to help maintain moisture balances and keep hardwood stable. And if your rooms are poorly ventilated or frequently full of moisture from condensation (check your windows), you may need a dehumidifier to reduce excess moisture. You can also buy a hygrometer at most hardware stores to help you monitor humidity levels year-round.
Apply Protective Treatments
If you’d like an extra layer of defense, apply protective treatments specifically suited to your type of flooring. Check with your manufacturer’s guidelines first. Hardwood floors, for instance, benefit from periodic applications of water-resistant sealants or wax. This forms a barrier against spills and snowmelt. And if your floors are already finished, make sure the finish is in good shape before winter each year.
For carpeted rooms, you can find carpet protector sprays to help repel moisture and stains. While vinyl and laminate floors require less maintenance, you should still check for loose seams and reseal them before winter hits. These steps will go a long way toward preventing moisture damage to floors in the winter months.
Room-Specific Winter Tips
Each room in your house may be affected by moisture differently. It’s important to tailor your approach to each area if you want to really make a difference. Here’s how:
Entryways and Hallways: As we’ve discussed, there tends to be far more moisture in entry areas. Hallways are just as traffic-heavy and tend to take the brunt of winter’s mess if they aren’t carefully controlled.
Your goal should be to create a layered protection system of durable outdoor mats, indoor mats, rugs, and runners. You also need to wash or vacuum these mats as regularly as possible – otherwise, they can become part of the problem. Find synthetic, low-pile options that resist moisture better than natural fibers. Additionally, install wall hooks or a coat rack to keep any bags, hats, or coats off the floor.
Bathrooms and Kitchens: Every time you take a hot shower or boil a big pot of water, you’re adding a ton of humidity to your bathroom and kitchen. And with how cold and dry the winter months are, it can be a real shock to your flooring.
Ensure proper ventilation with exhaust fans any time the room gets steamy. Pay special attention to tile grout and scrub it regularly. You might even want to reseal it once a year to keep any moisture from soaking in.
Stay Proactive Throughout the Winter Season
If you live in an area that fights through endless snow and slush each year, you’re probably an old pro at handling the weather outside. But when it comes to preventing moisture damage to floors in winter, you’ll need to use some of the special tactics we’ve discussed to ensure your home stays undamaged.
With a firm grasp on how moisture affects different materials, you’ll be one step ahead of winter’s moisture and muck. These simple preventative steps will keep your home’s flooring beautiful and functional for years to come.
Want to learn more about protecting your flooring year round? Check out some of our helpful articles today!
