It happens every year. The sun rises a little later. The sun sets a little earlier. The mornings turn cold. The snow begins to fall. And winter is in full swing.

Here in Colorado, that may mean warm, sunny afternoons with heat falling across your hardwood floors. Then you wake up to two feet of snow, another snow day off from school, and kids and pets bringing in enough snow to build a small snowman in the center of your room.

Yes, Colorado winters can be rough on you and your floors.

Hardwood floors are porous. They absorb the moisture. They expand and contract.

Expansion is normal. That is the reason hardwood floors are installed with the ability to move and settle as the environment changes all around it. If a gap isn’t placed between the tiles and the baseboard, there is a chance of buckling of the floors. Which isn’t an easy thing to fix.

Winter is hard on hardwood flooring, especially here in Colorado. When it’s cold outside, you shut the doors and windows and turn up the heat. Heating the air also dries the air. And when there is very little moisture in the air to begin with, your hardwood floors shrink.

You may notice sudden gaps between the tiles or along the floor boards, gaps that have never been there before. Then just as suddenly, the gap may disappear.

The same thing happens when too much water or humidity is introduced to a room. If you install hardwood in your bathroom, every day showers can cause hardwood to expand. Carrying water and snow in from the outside and letting it pool on the floor can also take its toll. Expansion is normal. But if the expansion is too great and goes beyond the gaps or wallboard, shifting and buckling begins to occur.

And once buckling occurs, the only way to fix it is to replace the warped floor boards.

Hardwood make a great addition to any home. And here in Colorado, hardwood is one of the most popular home flooring choices. With just a little maintenance and a little extra care, you can keep them looking their best, no matter what the weather is outside.