The Necessity of Expansion Gaps

The term ‘expansion gap’ is very common in the wood flooring world. It refers to a space that is intentionally left around the edges of the room when a floor is fitted. Generally this space is of almost ten to fifteen millimeter in length which is surely not significant and neither spoils the look of the room. However, leaving this space can have numerous benefits as it assist in preventing problem with hardwood flooring in Vaughan when it expands and contracts.

The hardwood floor is a completely natural product and because of this it heats up and cools down. It absorbs moisture and it expands and when it let it out, it contracts. This is a pretty natural phenomenon and can become a problem if this takes place in a restricted area. This is the reason expansion gaps are mandatory whenever hardwood floors or any other type of wooden floors is installed.

Why expansion gaps are necessary

Just imagine yourself anything that contracts and expands whenever there is a significant change in temperature, you will get an idea why the expansion gaps are necessary. If you leave no space for the wooden planks to expand, they will simply squeeze up against each other. There might be a case when the wooden planks rise upwards, or bend outwards because there is no space. They may later develop gaps when they contract again. In the wood floor world, this phenomenon is known as bowing and cupping. This is something that is not considered to be good for the look and the stability of the floor.

Does the same expansion gap rule apply when you go for engineered wood flooring?

Yes. You still need to keep expansion gaps in mind when you installing the engineered wood flooring as well. It will not be wrong to say that this rule is applicable for all types of wood flooring. No doubt, engineered wood happens to be more resistant to expansion and contraction when compared with hardwood but it is still important to keep the gaps.

What is the best method to allow expansion gap?

You can easily user spacers around the room whenever you install wooden floors in your room. As mentioned earlier, you need to leave almost a space of fifteen millimeter all around the room. You can place suitably sized spacers against the two walls where the floor will run. By doing so, you will surely get the right size of the gap.

Will the expansion gap spoil the look of the room or the floor?

Generally people have to replace their skirting board when they have fitted their wooden floor. Once you do this, the gap will be hidden. In case there is no skirting board in your room and you are installing a wooden floor, then you may have to discuss your reservations with the contractor. There are some people who purchase curved mouldings that can easily be added all around the room to hide the expansion gaps.

However, skirting boards are still considered to be a good option because they protect the bottom of the walls from all sorts of scrapes and bumps that is common whenever you are vacuuming or mopping. This means that it is a good idea to think about adding skirting boards in your room if you don’t have one.

All in all, if you are planning to renovate your home in Vaughan, hardwood flooring can surely give your home a magnificent look. Many homeowners have jumped onto the bandwagon of using hardwood floors for their homes and as long as you hire a reliable hardwood floor installation specialist to install your floors, you will never have to worry about any expansion gap problems for hardwood flooring.