Flooring in St. George, Utah

Dry air and hardwood

Wood moves with humidity, and this region is dry for most of the year. Solid hardwood installed without accounting for that will shrink, opening gaps between boards that appear in the driest months and partially close again later. In severe cases boards cup, crown or split.

The remedies are known. Acclimatising material on site before installation — for a genuine period, not a token day — is essential, and a fitter who skips it is creating a problem. Engineered wood is considerably more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood and is often the better choice in this climate. And narrower boards move less visibly than wide ones.

Ask an installer directly how they acclimatise, and what gaps you should expect seasonally. An honest answer includes some movement; a promise of none is not credible.

Why tile dominates here

Tile is the regional default for good reasons: it is unaffected by humidity swings, it stands up to abrasive desert dust, and it stays cool underfoot, which is a genuine comfort factor for much of the year. Large-format porcelain has largely displaced smaller tile.

Luxury vinyl plank has taken a substantial share too, being stable, water-resistant and warmer underfoot than tile — though cheaper products can be affected by heat and direct sun through glass, which is worth asking about for a room with a lot of west-facing glazing.

Carpet in a dusty climate

Carpet works, but the fine mineral dust here is abrasive and cuts fibres underfoot, so it wears faster than in a cleaner environment and needs deeper cleaning more often. Worth factoring into a comparison rather than discovering later.

Practical points

• Ask what subfloor preparation is included. It is where quotes differ most and where failures start.
• Ask about transitions and trim, which are commonly excluded.
• Ask about furniture moving and old floor disposal.
• Get the underlay specified, not just the flooring.