How winter 2017 will affect your internal timber fixtures
In the winter it’s quite easy to protect yourself against the cold. You put an extra jacket on, wrap your scarf around your neck and you’re ready to go. It’s less easy, however, to protect your timber fixtures against the winter months.
In this blog, we’ll be taking a look at why varying temperatures affect the timber in your home, and what you can do to make sure they stay strong, protected and unaffected.
Why does temperature affect your fixtures?
It’s all about moisture. No matter what type of timber you’ve had fitted in your home, moisture levels in the air can really have an impact on the size, shape and quality of your timber.
What do you normally do once the winter months hit?
- Close the windows
- Turn the heat up high
- Inadvertently suck all the moisture out of the air
Once you remove fresh, clean air from your home and replace it with artificial heat, you’re removing any possibility for moisture to move freely around your home. This dries out your timber and will cause your floorboards, doors and other wooden fixtures to creak, warp or even split.
On the other hand, if you forget to turn the heat on and leave your timber exposed to excessively cold conditions (-0 degrees), the moisture content in your wooden interiors may freeze, which can speed up the shrinking and warping affects.
What can you do to stop your timber fixtures warping?
Don’t despair – you don’t have to replace all the wood in your home. There are numerous ways to protect your wood against the cold winter months and the artificial heat that comes with it.
Get a humidifier
Buying a humidifier for your home will ensure that the moisture content within your home stays at a healthy temperature, allowing your timber to get through Christmas without any warping or creaking.
Coatings and finishes
You could also put a finish on your timber. By applying a coating or finish to your timber, you will slow the rate at which moisture moves ensuring minimal negative affects to your interior woodwork. Take a look at our finishing and coating services right here.
Use modified timber
There’s also a chance that your timber has already been specially treated to resist the effects of the cold. Accoya wood, for example, is modified using the chemical compound acetic anhydride, and boasts high levels of durability and dimensional stability – even when exposed to inhospitable climates. So, you may have lots of beautiful timber fixtures in your home that have come ready made to handle our coming winter months!
Get in touch!
Winter isn’t the friendliest of months for timber, but thanks to our modified timber and the services that International Timber offers, you can make sure your woodwork is protected until we welcome in Spring 2018.
If you’d like to know more about our product range and how we can support you and your home this Christmas, get in touch and we’ll be able to help you out!
Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on all the latest timber news!
