Finish TradesQuestion 465 of 700
When installing a floating laminate or engineered wood floor, why must a perimeter expansion gap (roughly 3/8 inch) be left at all walls?
a.To hide the flooring nails
b.To provide space for future plumbing
c.To allow the floor to expand and contract with humidity without buckling
d.To meet the fire-rating requirement of the assembly
Explanation
Floating wood-based floors grow and shrink with humidity; the perimeter gap, later hidden by base trim, lets the field move without lifting or buckling. Floating floors are not nailed, the gap is not for plumbing, and it plays no role in fire rating.
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