How to Keep Wood Floors Warm in the Winter
Last Updated: July 4, 2023, by: Rob Parsell
Hardwood floors, a frosty winter morning and bare feet can be a cool combination, and we don’t mean that in a good way. Are there ways to keep your hardwood floors feeling warm, even in the winter?
Yes! Here are your options for enjoying the look and the feel of your hardwood floors in every season.
1. CONSIDER RADIANT FLOOR HEAT
This is not a good choice for solid hardwood flooring, but it is ideal for engineered hardwood floors, laminate, tile and natural stone flooring. Solid hardwood flooring, especially in homes with a humidifier, will swell when heated and shrink when cooled. The result can be warping, cracking and cupping.
However, engineered hardwood flooring is produced with wood layers that have grains running perpendicularly to one another. The result is a stable material that won’t swell and shrink.
Engineered wood floors come in all the most popular domestic and imported hardwoods including white oak, red oak, ash, hickory, maple, birch, walnut, mahogany, Brazilian cherry and koa, kempas, tigerwood, sakura, teak and bamboo.
Read our report to find out the cost of installing radiant under floor heating.
2. USE AREA RUGS IN KEY LOCATIONS
Standing or resting your feet on area rugs will keep them warmer than bare hardwood. Place rugs in the kitchen where you prepare food and in front of the sink. Choose a large one for under the dining table. One with a thick plush in front of your easy chair will keep your toes toasty.
3. ADD WEATHERSTRIPPING TO DOORS AND WINDOWS
When cold air creeps in through gaps in window and door frames, it settles on the floor. Weatherstripping is affordable – a very cost-effective way to prevent wood floors from feeling cold all the time while lowering your heating bills.
4. USE CEILING FANS
A couple of strategically-placed ceiling fans will circulate the warm air from the top of the room to the floor. This will balance temperatures and help take the chill off your hardwood floors.
5. WEAR WARMER CLOTHING
A sweatshirt instead of a t-shirt will keep your core temperature higher. Then, if you choose to go bare-footed or wear just socks instead of shoes or slippers, your feet won’t feel as cold.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HARDWOOD FLOORING DESIGN AND CHOICES
- Wood N’ Beyond – Informative website that sells all types of wood flooring, but also has great articles that can help you choose and design your new floors.
- National Wood Flooring Association – On this website you will find information on wood floor care and maintenance as well as guides that can help you choose the right floor for your room.
- Country Floors Janka Hardness Scale – The Janka hardness test is is the industry standard for gauging the ability of various species to tolerate denting and normal wear, as well as being a good indication of the effort required to either nail or saw the particular wood.
- World Floor Covering Association – The WFCA provides consumer information needed to ensure a successful floor purchasing experience.
How do you keep your hardwood flooring warm and toasty? Share your ideas with us below.
About the Author: Rob Parsell
Rob joined the Home Flooring Pros team in 2014 and is a freelance writer, specializing in flooring, remodeling and HVAC systems (read more).
“I’m the son of an interior designer and picked up an eye for design as a result. I started hanging wallpaper and painting at 14 and learned enough on the job to be the general contractor on two homes we built for our family and did much of the finish plumbing, electrical, painting, and trim work myself.”