Hi guys,

I'm reading a lot about relative humidity, and trying to figure out what my home should be prior to installing and finishing, since I don't want large gaps, cupping, etc etc.

I'm in south central Canada (think Minneapolis, or Fargo). For lots of details about the weather, check here: http://winnipeg.weatherstats.ca/1year

Basically, we have very cold winters (-25C/-15F to -30C/-22F is common and prolonged). Keeping my home at 30 to 50 RH is not possible in this weather, as the windows would be covered in solid ice. I can keep it around 20-25 RH on the real cold days, but not much more. We have approx 2 months of deep cold where it would be this low RH. I will use an HRV to dehumidify, and a whole-home humidifier to humidify. My thermostat is magical (Honeywell VisionPro IAQ - highly recommend it it's great), and takes care of humidity and ventilation control too.

We have warm/hot summers, and I will use the AC to dehumidify and keep things between 30-50 RH.

So, my question is:
What's an acceptable range for my goofy climate? I think I can keep it at least 25 RH in winter, and up to 40-50 in the summer. Is this too much variation? What should it be?
Is there a better time of year to install? Does it make a difference?

Thanks again!

If you are unable to maintain constant humidity levels ( for whatever reasons ), the wood selection becomes much more important. If avoiding gaps and movement is your prime concern, then, if using a solid wood flooring material, select narrow strip flooring that is quartersawn and is a stable species. Or better yet, use engineered flooring. It does not expand and contract as much as a solid.

Ooo yeah, quarter sawn red oak with a warm stain to offset the temperature...one of my favorite woods. Get true quarter sawn if possible, avoid the rift/ quarter sawn for more fleck.