Three climates in numbers
| Annual average | Bar | Podgorica | Žabljak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relative air humidity | 69 % | 60 % | 76 % |
| Humidity in January | 67 % | 68 % | 82 % |
| Humidity in July | 66 % | 43 % | 68 % |
| Tropical days, 30 °C and above | 67 | 98 | 2 |
| Frost days | 2 | 15 | 150 |
The most interesting number in the table is not the overall humidity but how much it changes. In Bar the air is almost equally humid in winter and summer. In Podgorica the average humidity in January is 68 %, and in July only 43 %. For wooden furniture, that swing matters more than the average itself.
Why wood reacts to humidity
Wood constantly exchanges moisture with the air. When the air is humid, it absorbs moisture and swells, and when it is dry, it releases moisture and shrinks. That is why a solid wood table or top can crack in summer, and wardrobe doors can start to stick in winter. Boards such as chipboard and MDF change less than solid wood, but they absorb water at raw edges and swell there.
The coast: salt, sun and a closed-up flat
On the coast humidity is high all year, averaging 72 % in Herceg Novi. Heat is common here, so Bar has averaged 67 tropical days a year over the last ten years. The biggest problem for furniture here is not sudden changes in humidity but the salt in the air and the strong sun.
For a terrace, choose aluminium, grade 316 stainless steel or wood intended for outdoor use. Steel 316 contains molybdenum and so handles salt better than the more commonly used 304, which gets brown stains faster by the sea. Rinse stainless steel with fresh water from time to time too, because stains form most where salt stays on the surface.
Wood in sun and rain turns grey over time, teak included. That is not rot but a change of the surface itself, which is especially pronounced by the sea. If you want it to keep its warm colour, you must care for it regularly with oil or a protective coating. For terrace cushions and fabrics, choose ones made for outdoor use, because ordinary fabrics fade quickly in the coastal sun.
If you rent out your apartment only in summer, watch the months when it is closed. Humid air in a space that is not aired favours mould, especially in wardrobes against an outside wall and in mattresses. Leave a gap between the wardrobe and the wall, air the flat from time to time and do not cover mattresses in plastic, because the moisture stays trapped underneath.
Podgorica: hot and dry summers
Over the last ten years Podgorica has averaged 98 tropical days a year, when the temperature reaches 30 °C, and in July it is nearly every day, 29 out of 31 on average. In summer the air is dry, and air conditioning dries it further. In winter humidity is much higher. That difference between summer and winter is what bothers solid wood most.
Do not place solid wood furniture directly under an air conditioner or next to a radiator, because wood dries unevenly in a stream of dry or warm air. When choosing a solid wood table, ask whether the wood is properly dried, because wood that is not fully dried is more likely to crack. Keep leather sofas and fabrics out of direct sun through the window, because both leather and fabric fade and dry out in strong sunlight.
The north: long winters and heating
In the north the winter is long and cold. In Žabljak the average annual temperature is 6.6 °C, and frost occurs on average 150 days a year. The outside air is humid, but inside, when a stove or radiator is on, the air becomes very dry.
Keep wooden furniture away from wood stoves and fireplaces. Do not put it against a wall with a stove behind it either. Cabins that stand unheated in winter are demanding for furniture, because moisture collects when the space cools down. For them choose furniture with protected edges, and do not leave mattresses and textiles in an unheated space over winter if you can take them with you.
In short
On the coast, choose materials that withstand salt and sun, and do not leave a flat closed up without airing. In Podgorica, protect solid wood from air conditioning, radiators and direct sun. In the north, keep furniture away from heat sources and protect it from moisture in unheated spaces. When you choose a piece in a showroom, ask about the material and how to care for it, because that is the best way to make furniture last.