I will be installing laminate floor in a L-shaped section of my house. The longest part is 32.3 feet and the widest part is 23.4 feet. Will the normal 1/4" expansion gap all around be enough? I don't want to add an expansion gap in the middle of the floor if I don't have to.
2007-01-08 00:01:25 · 4 answers · asked by ? 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
i found that it's better to "over" cut about 1/4 inch. then in about a week, trim the edges to perfect size.
good luck!
2007-01-08 00:25:08 · answer #1 · answered by mom*2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A 1/4" expansion gap around all of the perimeters will be enough. When you mentioned a gap in the middle of the room, I'm picturing something like a hallway leading down to a room and you want to cover the hall and room (that may not be the exactly those circumstances, but something like it? maybe a living room with a dining room on the side?) Anyway, maybe you can consider a threshold to cover your gap in the middle of the room. They can go from wall to wall. I may be picturing your layout wrong, in which case I apologize. Please see this link for a rough guess-timate of what I'm picturing: http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/2333878
You definitely want to make every effort to leave an expansion gap around all perimeters though. Not only does the temperature in the house effect expansion, you're house's shifting also will effect it. Best of luck!
PS Don't forget to let your product acclimate for at least 48 hours in the area where it is going to be installed before installation.
UPDATE: Ok, yeah, you can leave a 3/8" expansion gap as long as you run all the laminate in the same direction- no gap in the middle of the room. In the corner of the "L", if you have a hole that can't seem to be covered by your mouldings, you can usually find matching laminate filler ("wood filler" would be the equivilent for a wood floor) to fill in that space. What I've seen of the laminate filler, it says on the bottle (which is shaped like caulk) perimeter sealant.
2007-01-09 02:31:57 · answer #2 · answered by aperture440 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really need to check with the manufacturer of your particular laminate, you could void your warranty by not putting in the expansion gap. If you don't mind voiding the warranty just take into consideration how much the climate changes inside of your house. If you keep a steady temp it won't expand quite as much.
2007-01-08 21:41:46 · answer #3 · answered by jamesflooring 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sadly its true
2007-01-08 07:18:06 · answer #4 · answered by Malice 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋