Wood is a natural fiber. This seems obvious, but this fact brings with it some implications that not every builder adequately considers, until a job gone wrong makes it too late. So to bring it back to extreme basics, lumber is manufactured from the cellulose stems of large trees, and while humans tend to think of the function of wood in terms of floors and walls, the tree itself uses these fibers to transport moisture and nutrients from the roots to the leaves.

In other words, untreated wood is a virtual sponge, designed by nature’s goodness to absorb humidity and expand to accommodate an increased supply of it. While this is perfect for the needs of a living tree, it can be disastrous for the home builder who fails to take into account this basic property of lumber.

Preventing climate-related warping and buckling is a task which must be approached proactively. For builders in moist environments, guarding against humidity and temperature-related damage should be considered at each phase of the planning and installation process.

(more…)

Yesterday’s builders had available whatever options they could create with an axe, a bow saw, and some sandpaper. As hardware stores became more frequent, the selection expanded to include dimensional lumber, what we think of as traditional square-edged boards, and carpentry became divorced from logging.

Since then, wood materials providers have stepped up to the challenge of supplying the home builder with a product which more closely matches the needs of each project. If you are replacing one of these early floors, you are quite well aware why: floors crafted from traditional planks have decidedly uneven results. There may be spots where neighboring planks have a slightly different idea of how high the floor should be, gaps around the edges, or, worst of all, moisture buckling from years of exposure to the elements.

(more…)