Cutting LVT after installation

[nwrmartin]

Hi,

I have laid an LVT floor. It’s a floating floor, with click tiles (planks, really). The room is 6 metres long.

For about 3 metres, next to fitted shelving units, the expansion gap has ended up being really narrow, not even 1mm - though on the opposite side of the room, about 3.5 meters away, it is more than 3mm wider than it needs to be. Is this OK? If not, what’s the best way to trim the LVT now it’s been laid?

Access is slightly tricky, so a circular saw won’t work. I was considering a multi-tool with a semi-circular blade. Would that work OK or is something else better?

I thought about using the multitool to put a groove in the mdf plinth the shelving sits on, and widen the gap that way. That is awkward too, but might be better than touching the floor.

The floor below is a concrete subfloor with 4mm of self-levelling screed.

Many thanks for your advice.

 

[dazlight]

should be ok if you don’t have lots of sunlight on it.

 

[robinbanks]

And it's floating, not glued down?

 

[nwrmartin]

And it's floating, not glued down?

Yes, not glued down. And I should say that the gap is so tight in places that it’s barely 1mm between the plank and the plinth. The gap widens along the length of the plank. Thanks.

 

[robinbanks]

I think it'll sort itself out tbh. If it does expand in the heat it'll just slide around the floor. Is there anywhere it is so rigidly fixed that any movement will be resisted?

 

[nwrmartin]

I think it'll sort itself out tbh. If it does expand in the heat it'll just slide around the floor. Is there anywhere it is so rigidly fixed that any movement will be resisted?

No, I think it would be free to move. It will have a suite of furniture on it, but other than that it should be able to slide in the opposite direction. Thanks for your advice.