Gaps between boards

The main cause for gaps between boards is do to lack of moisture. As the seasons change the moisture content in the air as well as in the wood floor will change, there by causing the wood to swell and contract. In the summer the air is very humid so the wood will take on the moisture and the wood will swell so the gaps will get smaller and in the winter the air is very dry causing the wood to release it moisture, causing the wood to shrink and the gaps will get larger. To control this you can install a dehumidifier in your home in the summer and keep the humidity around 50%. And in the winter you can install a humidifier to add moisture to the air, and again keep the humidity at around 50%. This will prevent the wood from swelling or shrinking to much. Now to prevent this with new floors, before you install the floor, have the floor sit in the room for a couple of days before you install it so it accumulate to the humidity of your home. This will help prevent exes movement of the floor boards after it is installed.