Ecpansion Gap For Floating Wood Floor

Many flooring sales people unfamiliar with hardwood flooring assume expansion is the same as laminate flooring.

Ecpansion gap for floating wood floor.

Yes it can still have gaps. It is an essential gap that must be left around the edge of the room when fitting hardwood bamboo or laminate flooring. As moisture increases in the hardwood flooring the boards will expand and as the moisture levels lessen the. We usually think of gaps as a bad thing.

But to answer a common question. There are important reasons to do so and we will cover them in this article. The flooring store said to leave one quarter inch gaps for expansion at the walls now the boards are lifting off the floor ill informed advice like this often leads to floor problems. The short answer to this question is yes.

An expansion gap is essential when it comes to laminate flooring installation. The recommended expansion gap is a minimum of inch. Expert installers say that the larger the space the larger the expansion gap should be as the floor needs more space to expand and contract with temperature. An expansion gap is a term used when fitting wooden flooring.

Figure 2 hardwood flooring expansion gap. Positive airflow reduces the occurrence of side wicking or moisture transference to the flooring materials. Are expansion gaps necessary for solid and engineered wood flooring. Engineered hardwood flooring is designed to minimize gaps due to expansion and contraction of the wood.

In most cases the perimeter expansion gap is related to the thickness of the new flooring. As a result when it comes to installing engineered wood flooring you must leave an expansion gap otherwise you could come up against severe problems in the future. Expansion gaps should be left wherever the floor comes up against a fixed object for example next to a wall a doorway or a heating pipe. Why gaps are important.

For example â thick flooring will require â expansion gap. The expansion gap should be around the whole perimeter of the room wherever the flooring may be against fixed objects such as walls doorways radiator pipes and fireplaces. Perimeter spacing not only allows for seasonal expansion but also provides airflow. Gapping in engineered hardwood can be due to many factors including but not limited to the material s manufacturing changes in humidity and the type and quality of the installation.

Although engineered wood flooring is more resistant to expansion and contraction than solid wood it is still important to leave an expansion gap when installing an engineered wood floor. Hardwood flooring expands and contracts based on its moisture content. However you won t need to worry about any spaces around the perimeter of your installation.