I found this winter with the weather being warm then cold, my hardwood has a lot of gaps.  What can I do to prevent this?

 

A relative humidity level of 35% or greater and interior temperatures between 18 to 24 degrees celsius is recommended for solid hardwood.  In winter months with the heat on it is very important to keep the humidity at a reasonable level.  Too dry will result in the hardwood losing moisture causing shrinking of planks.  If the dryness was excessive the planks may not completely recover.  Increasing the humidity will help in recovering from some of the gaps that have appeared.  Keep a consistent humidity of at least 35% but no more than 45 to 50% to prevent the wood from excessive shrinkage is a must.