Laminate Floor Wall Spacing

Ideal situation is when you can check your sub floor quality before laminate flooring purchase and then make adequate decision.

Laminate floor wall spacing. If you place laminate flooring on a weak or uneven sub floor the new floor will be compromised and eventually buckle damage the laminate locking system creak or create micro gaps in the new floor. Sub floors are typically concrete or cement and develop weaknesses over time. Spacers help create the gap when you install the floor. Space between laminate floor and wall help.

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. Spacers often come with the flooring or you may purchase them separately. Most laminate flooring manufacturers provide quarter inch plastic spacers as. Leave a 1 inch space on the floor to accommodate the base of the t molding strip.

First lay strips of tape vertically on the wall spacing them by 8 to 12 inches. T molding is most often used when you need a transition piece between a tiled floor and a laminate wood floor. Failure to leave the proper expansion space will often result in the planks squeaking lifting or separating. You have to bolt them off at a frequent bolt spacing.

This space will allow room for the flooring to expand and contract with changes in humidity. Leave a 2 inch gap from the bottom of the tape to the floor. Your laminate floor will flex up and down adjusting to your uneven sub floor and the end effect will be damaged locking system micro gaps between boards and poor floor performance. Then place a straight 2 by 4 board long enough to span the wall flat on the floor next to the wall leveling it by putting shims underneath it.

The recommended expansion gap is a minimum of inch. Covering gaps on laminate flooring due to uneven walls. For laminate flooring expansion space is required around walls fixed objects all vertical surfaces and even screws and other fasteners used to hold an item in place such as a closet slider on top of the laminate floor. The standard width of a t molding strip is 2 inches and the standard height is 5 8 inch.

The base of the t shape can range from 1 2 inch to 3 4 inches wide. In other words they don t just slide in and span end to end. Typically laminate flooring calls for a gap of 3 8 inch to 1 2 inch. We have had two different rooms laid with laminate flooring 2.