How To Manage Cold Hardwood Floors In The Winter

While winter brings us the holidays, family, and the occasional snow day, the season also has a tendency to cause a number of problems as well. One often back-of-mind problem with cold weather is a cold hardwood floor. While not a huge issue, still an annoyance; not many people enjoy walking across freezing cold hardwood floors.

If your homes’ hardwood floors are getting too cold to handle, you must learn how to manage them properly. When managing hardwood floors in the winter, your focus should be to keep them as warm as possible without compromising the integrity of the hardwood.

 

Here’s how to do this:

 

Know When You Have A Problem

Cold weather and differing levels of humidity can cause of a number of problems with your homes’ hardwood floors. There is a difference between a cold hardwood floor and a hardwood floor with a problem. Visual signs of a bigger problem could be cracks and spacing. However, an extra cold hardwood floor could mean your home is not properly winterized. Know when to contact an expert.

 

Rugs Are Your Friend

Basic advice, but it works. While a rug is not an “end all, be all” solution for cold hardwood floors, it does have advantages. Rugs are great to keep your feet warm in a number of different areas in your home. From a bathroom, to an entryway, to the kitchen- a rug is an easy way to manage the cold floor woes.

 

An Easy Fix

If only certain areas of your hardwood floors are cold, you may simply have a circulation issue. To fix this issue, consider buying a few air deflectors. An air deflector is a plastic shield that attaches to a grate by magnets in order to redirect the flow of heat. These little devices cost $5-10 at most and are available at most hardware stores.

 

Draught Proofing

The best method to get rid of cold hardwood floors is to draught proof them. This method is often time consuming and can take some work on your part. However, it works. Your hardwood floors will be noticeably warmer and you will save money on energy bills. Draught proofing works by keeping the warm air in and not allowing the cold air in. An efficient way to draught proof your hardwood floor is by using a sealant.

 

One More Way To Manage Cold Hardwood Floors In The Winter

If all else fails and your hardwood floors are simply to cold to bare, it might be time to go old fashion…

Yes, if you truly want to keep your feet warm and manage cold hardwood floors in the winter, wear warm socks in the home!