Wood and wooden objects in winter

The main problem during periods when it is very cold and the temperature drops well below 0 degrees Celsius is the drop in humidity in the atmosphere. This is because the moisture in the air, in liquid or vapour form, solidifies and turns to ash. To restore the balance, water is removed from where it exists, and one source is wood. Under these conditions the wood outside loses moisture, shrinking and even cracking. The phenomenon is amplified when frost sets in without snow.

Doors, windows and other such objects that are outside must be made of properly worked dry wood, otherwise shrinkage will affect them. I saw one winter the wooden door of an old house in Bucharest, a newly made door because the old one had deteriorated, which had shrunk so much that not only could you see out, but you could easily put your fingers between the frame and the wooden trim, or in the cracks that appeared in the trim made of solid carpet.

The materials used to finish these objects must be specially formulated for outdoor use. One of the important characteristics of outdoor finishing products is their elasticity. In the process of water loss the wood moves and the varnish must allow for this. A very stiff varnish will crack as a result of this movement and will no longer be able to protect the wood.

During the same cold period, the central heating systems run for a longer time in the house to ensure the desired temperature. The heat provided by radiators is a dry heat, with no moisture input, different from the heat from burning wood. I'm sure you've all experienced the feeling of dry nostrils when you wake up in the morning and the desire to put a pot of water on the radiator to alleviate the unpleasant sensation. And this time there is a tendency to restore equilibrium humidity (30-50%, optimum 45%) and water is removed from wherever possible, i.e. furniture, doors, flooring and other wooden objects.

So, as additional information, know that low humidity can destroy valuable items you have around the house. For example, a sharp drop in humidity can cause piano and other musical instruments to fall out of tune, affect library books, wallpaper, paintings, your photo or stamp collection and even your wine collection (dry out the corks, they crack and the wine takes in air).

I have problems every winter with the doors. The boards shrink, which is very noticeable considering the doors are painted white and the edge of the frame is the natural color of the wood. There can be no question here that the wood hasn't dried well or that it hasn't reached balance. The house I live in is over 100 years old and the doors are original. Simply put, the humidity drops a lot and water is taken out of where it exists.

But don't panic because the phenomenon is reversible. When the dry heat source disappears, the weather warms up, the windows stay open longer, the humidity increases and the wood takes back water from the atmosphere, returning to normal humidity (8-12%). We have seen this every year. The shrinkage of the boards, very visible now, disappears completely in 3, maximum 4 months.

The best solution to avoid a sharp drop in humidity and problems is to use a humidifier. It is not a complicated appliance and has the advantage that it adjusts itself according to the humidity in the room.

Also due to the movement of the wood are those pops you sometimes hear. Furniture pieces don't allow all the pieces of wood they are made of to move freely (the pieces are glued or nailed or pegged) like door frames. This causes tension in the piece, straining or pulling in certain parts, which leads to noises.

The bottom line is that wood is continually influenced by moisture, even when it is in the form of furniture. Moisture variations will always lead to internal movements and tensions, so construction solutions and finishing products must take these movements into account. The use of solid wood laminates greatly reduces this problem.