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. Failure to leave the proper expansion space will often result in the planks squeaking, lifting or separating. Even a single plank such as in the picture above can lock in a floor and cause problems for other parts of the installation.
Expansion Space Walls and Fixed Objects
During laminate floor installation the proper expansion space must be left around all walls and vertical surfaces.
Without the proper expansion space a floor may buckle and gap due to the normal expansion and contraction of the laminate floating floor.
Expansion space must be left around fixed objects such as pipes, cabinets, fireplace hearths, sliding glass door tracks, floor outlets, floor vents and thresholds.
The size of the required expansion space can range from 1/8″ to more than 1/4″ depending upon the manufacturer and product.
The failure to leave proper expansion space locks in the floor and can resulting in buckling or tenting of the floor and separation at the floor joints.
An installer must also be careful not to leave a space wider than the door base or molding that is used along the wall or other fixed object to cover the expansion space.
On floating floors that click together the problem is often seen as gaps developing at the seams.
When a floor is tenting upward and lifting off of the subfloor it is obvious that the laminate has expanded and is locked in at some point.
T-Molding
Most laminate manufacturers require that a T-Molding be installed at all doorways under 4 feet wide.
The T-Molding allows the laminate floating floor to expand and contract.
Failure to use the T-Molding will often cause the laminate floor to tent, buckle or develop gaps.
Do not fasten T-Molding through the laminate floor or with fasteners against the edge of the laminate floor as this will lock the floor in.
Under Cutting Door Jambs
Door Jambs need to be undercut to allow for expansion space.
When a jamb is undercut as poorly as seen in photograph this is an installation related concern.
When door casings are not undercut and the floor is locked in this also becomes an installation related concern.
how do I install around a fireplace that is set at a 45 degree angle?
Cut your laminate at a 45 degree angle leaving the required expansion space.
what is the best way to fix this problem (https://laminatefloorproblems.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/laminate-flooring-installation-issues-300×225.jpg)
when there is space left between the floor and door jamb?
Undercut the door jambs and replace the boards would be the best way.
Somebody else installed laminate flooring in my house that I just bought and it is tenting around the fireplace, but laying flat everywhere else. How do i fix this?
The floor is likely locked in around the fireplace and you need to add expansion space so the floor will float the way it is designed to.
When you have purchased a high end laminate, it was seasoned for 3 days, and within 6~8 months of installation you begin to find gaps at the end of your planks; as though the planks are beginning to separate from the connection plank? This is not happening on the sides, only on the ends. What causes this? Some of these gaps are over 1/4″ in width.
There are a number of possible causes from manufacturing to site related to installation related or even a combination of causes. You should file a claim with the dealer you purchased the floor from and ask that the floor be inspected.
I was wondering about the vapor barrier and how it should lay at a T molding transition. My T molding instructions recommend gluing it if the subfloor is concrete and screwing it if it is wood. Do I cut my vapor barrier (*Note*–I already laid the barrier and flooring and left a gap in the installed floor for the T molding, at bedroom/hallway) and glue the T molding track to the cement slab or do I glue it right to the vapor barrier? And if I cut it will it negate the vapor barrier? Please help.
Dan, It sounds like you are talking about the track that the transition snaps into. If you glue directly to the vapor barrier the track for the transition will not be held solidly in place. My suggestion would be to also screw the track to the concrete so that the vapor barrier is not compromised. You would need to drill into the concrete and use anchors to hold the screws.
If others have suggestions please share.
Terry
I bought a house with laminate floor. They did not under cut the door frames. Can I fill it with something to make it look less noticeable?
Thanks,
Holly
worker just installed laminate floor in our basement w/ subfloor underneath. but when we walk on it, it’s bouncy or warp. They said it’s normal becoz it is a floating laminate, pls tell me what is the best solution to resolve this problem, really NEED YOUR ADVICE thank you…
Holy, The gaps can be filled using a flexible silicone caulk in a close matching color. You should be able to find flexible silicone caulk at a hardware store, building supply store or a big box store. Unfortunately if they did not properly fit the floor around the door casings there are likely to be other problems that exist with the installation so you might want to get in touch with the party you purchased the home from.
Terry
Gerry
You may feel some bounce on a laminate floor but usually this is not normal. Bounce is usually the result of problems such as improper acclimation, a locked in condition at walls or other fixed objects, failure to use “T” stye transition where needed such as in doorways, wall or door trim nailed through the laminate, flexing underlayment or moisture concerns resulting in expansion. Unfortunately I cannot give you the best solution without knowing which of these concerns it might be or it could be one of a number of other concerns less frequently seen. I would suggest that you either file a complaint with the dealer you purchased the floor from if they installed it or the contractor you used. If you get no satisfaction you might consider having the floor looked at by a flooring expert such as the flooring inspectors found at nicfi.org.
Good luck, Terry
I have seen conflicting information on when and where to use T molding. My living room is approx 18 feet wide, and 22 feet long. We are running the laminate the length of the room. On one lengthwide side, the living room transitions through an opening into a den, approx 14 x 14. The entryway into the den is 6 feet wide. Do I need to break up the laminate flooring in the doorway between the living room and the den? When you see pictures of laminate, they have it flowing beautifully from one room to the next with no breaks. But I am finding conflicting information online. If the laminate expands from the center out, in each room, than would both rooms expand towards the doorway slightly, requiring a break, with molding and room for expansion? (The link to the PDF file regarding molding for my flooring type Harmonics is not working). We have at least 1/4″ at each wall around the flooring in the living room, and are now working our way into the den. It would look so nice without T molding in the doorway, but is it necessary? And if so, should it go directly in the center of the opening? Thanks!
Dani
One of the reasons you see conflicting information as not all laminate manufacturers have the same requirements for the installation of their laminate flooring. In the room you describe approx 18′ x 22′ joining a room 14′ x 14′ through a 6 foot opening transition is generally not required. Again though you must check the instructions for the floor you want to use.
It is very common for T-molding to be required for an opening under 4 foot in width and for a continuous room over a certain length (varies per mfg.). You mention Harmonics flooring. Their requirements state, “Large rooms must have expansion joints every 13m (40 feet) width-wise to the panels and every 13m (40 feet) length-wise. We recommend having an expansion joint between different rooms (e.g. under the door).” If you have specific questions for your Harmonics installation you can them at 1-888-459-9220.
Terry W.
Hi. My husband put down 12 mm plank style laminate floors down over a cork underlay over floor boards. At first it was great until recently it has started to crackle everywhere we walk. He did leave space between the walls and the laminate and did everything the instructions said. I am upset because we spent over $3000 on this flooring. What can we do? Is it the change in humidity? Thank you
Amanda
Since it has been great and suddenly started to crackle give it some time for a big increase or decrease in relative humidity can result in expansion or contraction changes with a laminate floating floor and cause crackling. Make sure you are controlling relative humidity within the limits recommended by the manufacturer of the laminate product you are using. If the crackling sound does not go away in a couple of months and you are controlling the humidity then it may be one of the numerous other causes that I have addressed in this blog.
Terry
I have wrought iron a railing at the edge of my room going down a stairway. The railing is screwed to the floor with two braces and the side of the railing is braced to a wall. The installer said he will lay the pergo up to the edge of floor then drill through the pergo to fix it to floor. I have been told never fix a pergo floor with a screw. Is this ok to do?
My husband and I have never done any “handy” work. We bought our house brand new, in a housing edition. We decided to rip up the carpets and put down laminate flooring. We did such a bad job. There is about a 1/2 inch gap by the front door, around the fire place, and gaps at everydoor. We never got the baseboards back down and there is no seal anywhere. We are so lost! Is there a way to redo everything without having to purchase all new flooring?
Joe, Thank you for posting this question as it can assist many. You cannot fix the Pergo with a screw but you can connect the railing to the floor with screws as long as you drill holes in the Pergo that leave at least 1/4″ space all around the screw. The space around will allow the floor to float freely as long as the railing is not tightened to the point that it locks the floor in. The other choice would be to stop at the edge but then you would have a gap unless you covered it with a trim.
Terry
Christy
You need space for a laminate floor to float. The 1/2″ gap at the front door and fireplace can be covered with a laminate trim (molding). Since the baseboards are not down yet you can still caulk around the floor in wet areas such as kitchen or bath. Around the walls you just need to use wide enough baseboards. All of the supplies you should be able to purchase from a floor covering dealer, your local building supply or a big box store such as Lowes or Home Depot.
It sounds like once the job is complete everything will be just fine.
Terry
We are attempting to install a laminate floor. We did one in the past and it went well; however, this floor keeps separating on the length as we lay the flooring (all most with every tap a plank will come loose or “gap”. How do we avoid this or what are we doing wrong?
Dan, The problem you are describing could be plank or installation related. You need to contact the technical department of the manufacturer whose plank you are installing. Discuss with them what is going on and how you are installing it and they will surely be able to assist you with this.
Hello– 5 years ago we installed swiftlock laminate flooring in all our rooms(except bathrooms). It has been great and we love it. We followed instructions and left 1/4 inch for expansion. About 3 months ago, gaps began to appear in one room only. There are about 10 gaps. Would appreciate any helpful info for repairing this problem.
Thanks, Unhappy Gappy!
Hi Experts,
I just had a three season room installed and I laid a laminate floor and am now ready to dress up the edges of the room. The room is constructed of aluminum. I left the required expansion gap between the edge of the laminate and the aluminum walls. I now want to hide the gap. Could I run a bead of silicone caulking in this gap? Will the silicone caulking expand so the floor won’t buckle? I was also thinking about using quarter round to cover the gap and use some type of adhesive to attach the quarter round to the aluminum wall (not the floor).
thnaks
Paul, you can use a flexible caulking in the gap and this would not be a bad idea to help protect from moisture. Also, the quarter round over the gap using adhesive to attach to the aluminum is good. Just don’t attach it to the laminate and do not push the quarter round tight against the laminate. Leave at least the thickness of a business card so the laminate can still expand and contract.
Terrry
It sounds like something has changed, perhaps a new heavy piece of furniture keeping the floor from expanding or the flooring locked in some other way. I say this as it started after 5 years. Once you figure out what is causing it to gap you will be able to figure out how to repair it. Some planks can just be kicked back together once the source of the problem is corrected, while others require take up and relay.
Terry
I am putting a Pergo 10mm light commercial use laminate floor in my basement with the Pergo gold underlayment. It is a very dry basement. I also have an 8 foot pool table. Am I in danger of locking the floor from expansion. It is one large floor about 34′ X 20′, and pool table is almost in the middle of it. If this is a problem, what might you recommend I do. Please and thank you.
Pat
Pat
A heavy pool table can lock in a floor. If you insist on using laminate read the installation instructions carefully and follow them to a “t”. If they call for 3/8″ expansion around all walls and fixed objects make sure that you leave that as a minimum. Even though the concrete does not appear to have a high moisture content check it out. Unfortunately, event then the pool table may be a problem over a floating floor and you may experience some separation or up and down movement of the planks.
Terry
Thanks Terry, so I should isolate it on an island so to speak and use separation molding around it? And, I haven’t started laying it yet, how do you decide which direction to lay the tile. Do you run long the long length of the floor or long the narrow length of the room, or does it matter….?
Thanks again
Once I have set the proper expansion gap between the laminate floor and the wall, can my baseboard sit directly on top of the laminate floor, or does the baseboard and the floor need space in between?
David
Leave a small amount of space. It does not take much but if you pinch the baseboards too tightly against the laminate floor it can lock the laminate in.
Terry
i would just like to say thankyou.It makes a refreshing change to get on a site and people actually know what they are talking about and answer normal questions and dont rabbit on about useless things.You have answered my question in a clear and non technical manner and again i thankyou.Ps now all we need is all the other sites to do the same hehe fat chance bye
Thank you
Hi,
Our contractor installed a locking wood laminate floor in a school cafeteria. It was probably way too big for a floating floor. Gaps are everywhere. We can’t use t-molding because the school insurance rejected it. Any ideas how to get rid of the gaps? We’ve been told we can’t fill them in and the laminate flooring we used is discontinued. Thanks, Paul
Paul, the only thing I can think of is removing the floor and reinstalling by gluing the joints. Talk your manufacturers technical department and see if this is something they would also recommend and if so, what glue they would suggest you use for the particular product.
Terry
Hi, I’m installing a laminate floor and two sides of the walls (opposite each other) have about a half inch gap between the drywall and concrete, and the the wall. The planks fit underneath but i can’t fit a spacer in for the expansion. How do i fix this?
Michelle, if I understand you correctly your drywall is about 1/2″ above the concrete. Spacers are only used to help you maintain a gap between a fixed object and the laminate flooring and removed after the laminate is installed. Don’t worry about installing a spacer under the drywall, just make sure you leave a gap for the laminate to expand in to.
Terry
Can I glue down my laminate Flooring? If I can do I need to leave expansion gaps at doorways?
I will lay my whole new house with laminat floor. Where should i start ?
Start by thoroughly reading the installation instructions for the product you purchased. Make sure you have all of the require supplies on hand and properly acclimate the products. Most of the products are going to require you to use a transition between rooms. If you are using transitions in doorways you can install nearly any single room first. If you have a room that gets little use, start with that room, get some practice and you can later use that room to get household items out of the way while you install the next area. Good luck and have fun.
My husband installed our laminate flooring and left too much space around the door frames, corners, etc. It is unsightly. Is there a filler we can use to fill in the gaps and give the floor a more finished look.?
If the gaps are too wide, do not fill them, instead use a wider trim. Filling the gaps will often result in locking the floor in so that it does not properly expand.
Hi Terry, I have a question about baseboards and expansion, given my condo layout (below link). I pulled the carpet in this area- indicated by yellow and would like to put 10mm laminate. The existing baseboard moulding is 1/4″-3/8″ off the subfloor… not exactly parallel with the subfloor and not enough vertical space in most areas for a 10mm+pad laminate to expand under it. My baseboard moulding is only 2 1/4″ high and 3/8″ thick. I’d prefer not remove the baseboard, but if suggested, I could remove and raise it up. (Buying thicker baseboard is my last alternative) Instead I plan to route just enough material off the bottom of the baseboard for the laminate to expand under it and then add a quarter round on top which should provide ample room for expansion. Even if I remove and raise the baseboard, I don’t think it’s 3/8″ thickness is enough space for expansion/contraction, so the quarter round would still be required given my layout? Looking at my condo layout, will this work without transition strips? Thanks so much for any suggestions you can provide. John
My layout: https://postimg.cc/G8JRYJXb
I meant expansion strips. Not transition strips. Will this layout work without expansion strips in the doorways of the bedrooms? I’d prefer a continual look if possible. Thanks again. John
It will not work if the manufacturers installation instructions call for transitions. There are over 100 different products on the market and the requirements differ by product.