1. The wider the boards, the greater the chance for trouble. Stick with boards that are no wider than three inches. Wide wood can warp.
2. Use mechanical humidity control. The relative humidity in a radiantly heated home that has wood floors should be no more than 50 percent. Without this constant humidity, you get cracks in the wood.
3. The seeds of the damage are planted during construction. As the concrete dries, the moisture will leave it and enter the wood. As a precaution, tape a square of clear, plastic sheeting over the concrete floor and watch it carefully for moisture.
4. Provide for heat and ventilation during construction. The painters and plasterers are adding gallons of moisture to the indoor environment. Heat the place or that water will wind up in the wood. Get a moisture detector and don’t let them put down wood with more than 6% moisture.
5. Run the heating system for about five days before the carpenters install the finish wood. This will help dry out the wood.
6. Try to keep the wood floor no hotter than 85 degrees F at its surface. Too much heat isn’t good for the wood. Consider using a setpoint control to monitor the wood’s surface temperature instead of an air-temperature thermostat.
