Wood floors, humidifier? (Denver: appliances, house, tile)

[WI2CA2CO]

We've taken the plunge and contracted to build a home in Denver. After choosing our wood flooring, we were told we would need to use a humidifier to not void the warrantee. The flooring covers the kitchen, dining room and living room. We were also told that 30% humidity would be ideal but we would probably only be able to achieve 22% with a room humidifier or two. My question: have any of you used a humidifier for this purpose? Did you use a room or whole house humidifier and with what success? Thanks for any input.

[azcater]

We have wood floors in our house and had to go the whole house humidifier route. They've done just fine. Our humidifier was broken for about a month back in December and I noticed a difference in the floors.

[WI2CA2CO]

Also, good or bad experiences with particular brands or models?

[SkyDog77]

Interesting. The key as I have always understood it is to let the wood sit out for as long as possible at the ambient humidity prior to the final sanding and it should not make a difference.

All that being said, definitely go whole house on the humidifier. Get the type that sprays steam directly into the ducting instead of the style that has a reservoir. You don't want to have to worry about constantly cleaning it to keep from getting bad stuff in the air.

We are doing radiant heat in our new build to avoid all the dryness that comes along with a forced air system. If its not too late and it is in the budget for you, this is the best option.

[mic111]

Are you thinking about ducted humidifier like SkyDog mentions or console humidifier? In my previous house I had duct work from a forced air system. I looked at getting a humidifier installed in at the furnace but was told it would corrode the duct work so went with the console. I bought evaporative style as the ultrasonic tends to leave a white dust on everything. However they are much quieter than evaporative style. I bought one with three three gallon tanks so held a total of 9 gallons of water at a time. This was very convenient because you only had to fill the tanks every couple of days.

Currently I have in floor radiant heat so no duct work. As a result the console is a necessity. However I am older and wanted something without hoisting large heavy tanks in and out of the bath tub. As a result I got a console version with a tank you can fill with a hose from your bathtub or with a pitcher. It does not hold as much water. Maybe 3-4 gallons at a time so needs to be filled every day. Here is a link. If I could find a bigger capacity, non tank hoisting one I would get it.
EssickAir 9 Gallon Pedestal Evaporative Air Whole House Humidifier with Decorative Tile Insert - Appliances - Air Purifiers & Dehumidifiers - Humidifiers

It has wheels so is easy to move around and a digital sensor so you set the humidity you want and it turns itself on or off. The lowest speed is the only one useful when you're home. The others are too noisy. I wheel it into the bedroom at night and leave it set at 40. It brings it up to that and then shuts down for most of the rest of the night. This is the best watering pitcher for filling it because of the narrow spout. We have also used the dog washing hose in our shower to fill it from empty but there are some flanges in the way so sometimes we get splash back from that method.
IKEA PS VÅLLÖ Watering can - IKEA

[WI2CA2CO]

We were offered a ducted whole house system but told it only operated when the heater was running. This didn't seem to be enough but I had no specific experience or knowledge of this type of system. Therefore we are now looking at a stand alone unit.

[ChrisFromChicago]

Originally Posted by WI2CA2CO

We've taken the plunge and contracted to build a home in Denver. After choosing our wood flooring, we were told we would need to use a humidifier to not void the warrantee. The flooring covers the kitchen, dining room and living room. We were also told that 30% humidity would be ideal but we would probably only be able to achieve 22% with a room humidifier or two. My question: have any of you used a humidifier for this purpose? Did you use a room or whole house humidifier and with what success? Thanks for any input.

We installed a whole home humidifier, and did it at a pure comfort. . .point of view. It really makes a difference. . .in quality of life.

Now the issue/worry - windows. You need to have it set correctly and the windows should be insulated enough/

I bought on Amazon and paid for install, the official install was too expensive. . .

I went with http://www.aprilaire.com/ 600

[denverian]

We have hardwoods throughout our entire house (built in 2005) and never worried about humidity. The floors are fine. The only place we have humidifiers is in the bedrooms, that run at night.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by denverian

We have hardwoods throughout our entire house (built in 2005) and never worried about humidity. The floors are fine. The only place we have humidifiers is in the bedrooms, that run at night.

Exactly. As long as the install is done correctly meaning they set the boards and let them dry long enough before the final sanding, it should not be a big problem.

[Prodigal Native]

I grew up in a typical SE Denver ranch house with wood floors in every room but the kitchen and bathroom and we never had a humidifier. Never had a problem with the wood floors either, BUT it is possible that there is a difference between a "real" wood floor (that is to say, solid wood nailed to the sub-floor) and the modern "wooden" floors. I would think the modern stuff is engineered to handle a lot more than older stuff, but you never know...

It is also possible that since you say you are having this home built the builder is trying to get a few extra dollars out of you. I would ask to see the warranty paperwork before deciding what to do.