The Best Flooring for Humid Climates
With spring and summer on the horizon, the sun will come out, temperatures will rise, and so will the humidity levels as a result. Many areas will experience some level of humidity uptick, with some regions experiencing a purely humid climate during these seasons. In order to design your home for premium performance in this type of weather, it takes an understanding of how an increased amount of water vapor in the air can affect our surfaces. Here are some of our top picks regarding the best flooring for humid climates:
Waterproof Vinyl
With inherent moisture resistance, resiliency, and dimensional stability, waterproof luxury vinyl plank makes an exceptional flooring option for homes in humid climates. For this reason, vinyl flooring has always been a great choice for laundry rooms, basements, mudrooms, and all the rooms that can experience potential water damage. Luxury vinyl is especially amazing at emulating realistic, gorgeous hardwood texture, but it will not absorb moisture as wood does. Whereas hardwood floors will experience swelling as humidity rises, thus creating pressure between planks, LVP will deliver the authentic look you love without being susceptible to this sensation.
Tile
Many timeless and attractive tile options will be a great fit for humid climates so long as tile density and moisture absorption are considered. Denser tiles are not only stronger, but they also feature the lowest moisture absorption rates. These valuable qualities have made porcelain tile a prized choice for bathrooms and kitchen surfaces since the extreme moisture resistance makes these floors incredibly slip–resistant and easy to clean. Looking for a durable, luxurious floor that can also resist humidity with ease? Make sure to explore all the appropriate, wide-ranging tile styles we have to offer.
Engineered Hardwood
As striking and as durable as genuine hardwood floors are, the truth is that solid wood is not the most ideal fit for extremely humid climates. Thankfully, hardwood lovers have a wide range of equally gorgeous engineered hardwood options that deliver premium natural beauty and are created with multiple layers to better resist moisture and eliminate the negative results that humid conditions create. With engineered wood floors, you don’t have to stress over swelling, expanding, contracting, warping, cupping, and cracking. Talk about peace of mind!
It’s ideal to maintain a 35% and 55% humidity level in your home when humidity levels rise, in order to prevent high moisture indoors. Our flooring experts are ready to help you understand all of the ways to navigate humidity and shop for the perfect flooring options to withstand these conditions!
