Every winter we get asked what causes condensation on the interior of my windows?
The main thing to know is that it is too much humidity in your home when the temperature drops. We live in an extremely dry climate and therefore we need to crank our humidifiers. This is fine when the temperature is fairly warm outside, however this can be problematic when the temperature drops. Recommended humidity when the temperature drops to -30 is 25%. We get a lot of people say " well my flooring company says I need to keep it at 35% at all times". This is correct however it is safe to reduce it for short periods of time when it is colder outside. We spoke with a representative with Mirage Hardwood Flooring and they warranty the hardwood at anything greater then 25%.
Nicole Bird; Rsvp Design Inc.
A common question we get is, " Can you use a wood door in our climate?"
The answer is yes! When selecting a front door you want to take into consideration the front elevation of your house. Is it North or South facing , do you have any type of overhang or coverage. A lot of wood door manufactures will not warranty a door if you stain it dark and if it is south facing. One thing you want to also make sure of is that it is finished properly, this is one thing that you want to leave to the professionals. Investing in a reputable company to stain or paint the door properly will go along way. Remember the old cedar doors that are quite old and only after a number of years might need a fresh coat of stain? Exactly, they seem to have lasted forever! Make sure you also select a wood species that is recommended for exterior applications.
One very important thing that needs to be taken into consideration is that some of the wood doors come from places like BC and which is very humid compared to places like Alberta. When finishing a door from a humid climate you need to let the door dry out to approximately 7% and then you need to make sure that you remove all of the weatherstripping and any hardware. The door will expand and contract between winter and summer and you want to ensure that the door is completely sealed. If the door is sealed properly it will stand the test of time. We have installed many wood doors over the last 15 years and they look as good as the day they were installed. Always follow the finishing guidelines from the manufacture and on the back of the finish, this will guarantee that you will be looked after should you have any issues with the door. Typically wood door manufactures don't have a long warranty and it only covers manufactures defects.