I used to think a 1/4 inch gap for expansion was enough for any engineered floor.

Had a job in Portland where the whole floor buckled after a wet winter, cost me $2k to fix. Now I always check the manufacturer sheet and go bigger, sometimes 3/8 inch. What's the biggest gap you've ever had to leave to avoid a callback?

3 comments

3 Comments

keithlane23d ago

Learned that lesson the hard way too. Had a wide plank maple floor in a sunroom that needed a full half inch all around. The homeowner thought I was crazy until I showed them the spec sheet. That extra space saved us when their AC died during a heatwave. Now I just follow the paper, no matter what it says.

derek99422d ago

My old foreman always said to trust the paper over your gut. He had a job years back where they ignored the expansion gap specs on some Brazilian cherry... the whole floor buckled like a roller coaster after a humid week. The manufacturer refused the warranty claim because the install sheet was clear as day. That gap isn't just a suggestion, it's cheap insurance. Your AC story proves it.

finley72917d ago

But what about all the times specs are just covering the company's butt? I've seen guys follow the paper exactly and still get screwed on a warranty claim.