We have all been feeling the heat during this year’s summer heatwave and while we enjoy a warm summer for a change, it can have all sorts of effects that we may not have thought about. The raised temperatures and higher humidity levels can affect our floors in a number of ways, so we have put together a quick guide of things to look out for and what you can do to avoid problems in the long run.
Common problems
There a few issues that are worth keeping an eye out for:
- Warping or buckling. As temperatures and humidity levels rise wood and laminate will expand and can buckle or warp.
- Swelling and rippling. Similarly for carpets and carpet tiles the additional moisture in the air can be absorbed by the fibres and lead to swelling and rippling, and can also lead to a build-up of mildew in the long run if left unchecked.
- Dust can collect in greater quantities and more quickly than at other times where windows are left open. This finds its way into the raised floor cavity spaces through joints.
- Cold air leakage. Particularly applicable to cold data rooms and other cold/hot storage containment areas, this could either lead to problems if a specific temperature must be maintained, or to much higher energy bills if your air conditioning system has to work harder to keep a constant temperature.
How to manage these issues
There are ways to avoid these common problems from cropping up in the first place as well as things you can do to minimise their effects if they are unavoidable. These include:
- If you have an air conditioning system in your building or home make sure that it is working efficiently and that there are no hot and cold spots. Hot spots in particular are where your flooring could start to expand or buckle where there is no more room for it to do so. An air conditioning system will also maintain more constant humidity levels which will avoid potential swelling issues.
- Check your cold/hot storage areas for any large gaps or cracks that cold air could seep through. Also make sure that any raised floor openings that you have are well sealed. A few of those could be the difference between a lot or no cold air leakage at all.
- If you find that there is a cold air leakage in your storage areas and no obvious reason for it, the leakage could be from any unsealed holes or cracks under your raised floor so it is worth checking those as well.
- If your office space or home doesn’t have an air conditioning system and you are relying on open windows for cooling, more frequent cleaning will remove any excess dust and grit that comes in before it finds its way into the raised floor cavity spaces.
For any raised flooring issues, advice, or for a quote for installation, repair, or maintenance give our Fieldman’s Access Floors experts a call. You can reach us on 020 8462 7100 for an informal discussion or to make an appointment.
