I am looking to floor a floorboarded through living and dining room, including hallway, and am veering towards engineered wood as it seems to be the way to go for quality but avoiding solid wood expansion/buckling problems. It seems pretty straightforward with a plywood base and then the sections glued on top if my research is correct. I also understand I would need an expansion gap between the two rooms, and at the hallway door presumably as it is parallel with the division of the two rooms and therefore also is effectively the middle of a double length room. Is there any more subtle way of leaving a gap between rooms and at the doorway than the standard wood/plastic/metal strips which are rather bulky and unsightly ? They are OK at the doorway at the end of a room but in the middle of the floor seem to me rather clumsy looking. Our old house also had a through lounge and we had it laminate floored by a friend who didn't leave any gap in the middle with no obvious problems for around five years.
Expansion gaps for double length rooms
- Thread starter mahutchinson
- Start date
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We don't have an image of a flat divider on our site, but that could be just what you need.
It's a 6mm thick 2.35m or 0.95 m long Solid Oak strip, 36mm wide with bevelled edges on both sides. Because you have the same level at both sides of the door you just pin the strip down onto the wood and so cover the expansion gap (10 - 15mm) without a 'bulky' threshold.
It's a 6mm thick 2.35m or 0.95 m long Solid Oak strip, 36mm wide with bevelled edges on both sides. Because you have the same level at both sides of the door you just pin the strip down onto the wood and so cover the expansion gap (10 - 15mm) without a 'bulky' threshold.
That's interesting - I was hoping there was something like this to do the job. Still wondering though whether it's possible to get away without leaving the gap in between the two rooms. As mentioned, we had our old through lounge floored, with cheap laminate, and it showed no sign of expansion problems over five years. I am also wondering whether it is an advantage to do these jobs in Summer when the wood is expanded and whether you can also allow for a smaller gap in Summer ?
Laminate is a complete different animal than real wood (solid, wood-engineered).
The other reason for leaving an expansion gap between rooms is the difference in climate. A hallway is often colder and humid (opening of outside door, raining, wet coats etc) and the wood will react differently there than in other warmer rooms.
You are right about having to leave larger gaps when installing in winter when the humidity is lower, but never go narrower than 10mm on the perimeter of the floor, so in between rooms it has to be a bit wider still.
The other reason for leaving an expansion gap between rooms is the difference in climate. A hallway is often colder and humid (opening of outside door, raining, wet coats etc) and the wood will react differently there than in other warmer rooms.
You are right about having to leave larger gaps when installing in winter when the humidity is lower, but never go narrower than 10mm on the perimeter of the floor, so in between rooms it has to be a bit wider still.
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Thanks.
DON'T FOLLOW THIS ADVICE. Sorry will2000, but you are absolutely wrong and very, very lucky.
as long as you leave the right expansion gap round the sides and under the architrave you will be fine
Nope. Every room has its own climate and the floor can react differently.
Like I said, you've been lucky.
If you invest money and time to improve your home with wooden flooring don't fall at the last hurdle and run the risk for cupped floors because you didn't leave expansion gaps everywhere
Like I said, you've been lucky.
If you invest money and time to improve your home with wooden flooring don't fall at the last hurdle and run the risk for cupped floors because you didn't leave expansion gaps everywhere
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