LVT Expansion Gaps
Luxury Vinyl Flooring Expansion Gaps
Key Takeaways: Luxury Vinyl Flooring Expansion Gaps
- What are LVT expansion gaps referring to?
- Do they apply to glue down luxury vinyl flooring as well?
- Will my installer know about and understand what expansion gaps are?
- How much of an expansion gap needs to be left?
- Where do I leave the expansion gaps?
Flooring expansion gaps are spaces left between the edges of a flooring material and the walls or fixed objects in a room. These gaps are necessary to allow for the expansion and contraction of the flooring material as temperatures and humidity levels change. The size of the expansion gap required depends on the type of flooring material being used and the climate in the room. For example, hardwood flooring typically requires a larger expansion gap than tile or laminate flooring.
Do you really need an expansion gap for a luxury vinyl plank floor? Where you are installing a glue down luxury vinyl flooring then the common practice and line of thought is that you DO NOT need to leave an expansion gap to the extent that you would a floating floor (see Camaro Loc below). Your installer may still need an expansion gap of 1-2mm covered by a suitable sealant. This would be sufficient to accomodate the very slight amount of expansion a bonded floor would exhibit. This would be applicable to LVT ranges such as Karndean Knight Tile; Karndean Van Gogh and Amtico Spacia for examples.
On the other hand, an LVT such as the Polyflor Camaro Loc vinyl flooring (which is a click fit or floating floor), requires a minimum expansion gap of 4mm which should be left around the entire installation perimeter and anything protruding from the subfloor such as, radiator pipes, fixed down items etc. A floating floor (click/loc including rigid core) usually needs 5-10mm, the loose planks will absorb heat and expand like any flooring material, some more than others so you run the risk of it buckling.
Expansion and Acclimatisation
Expansion is a natural phenomenon found in LVT flooring. It can be best described as the increase in the dimensions of a body or substance when subjected to an increase in temperature. It’s diametrically opposite to contraction which is where dimensions reduce owing to cooler conditions. Expansion and contraction are important considerations when installing flooring, particularly with the current trend and increased availability of loose-lay products or systems.
All luxury vinyl flooring products need to be acclimatised to the standard 18-27deg C stated in British Standards or, by exception, to the expected conditions for normal use in the building/room. Failure to work to this temperature range (including before, during and after fitting) will open the product and installation to possible movement. While expansion is a headache onsite and can cause lots of issues, contraction is probably one of the most common aesthetic complaints that modular product manufacturers receive. An otherwise acceptable floor becoming entirely unacceptable to a client owing to gaps between tile joints. There is a much more comprehensivve article that you can read on LVT expansion Gaps, provided by The Contract Flooring Journal.
Our leading LVT ranges include the following: Exclusive by Flooring Hut; Polyflor Camaro; Polyflor Camaro Loc; Karndean Knight Tile; Karndean Van Gogh; Amtico Spacia; Amtico Signature: Luvanto Click Plus and Luvanto Design.
Manufacturers and suppliers will provide information on typical expansion figures for their products and clear guidance as to fitting requirements. If any doubt exists before fitting, always refer to the manufacturer/supplier for guidance.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring Expansion Gaps
Key Takeaways: Luxury Vinyl Flooring Expansion Gaps
- What are LVT expansion gaps referring to?
- Do they apply to glue down luxury vinyl flooring as well?
- Will my installer know about and understand what expansion gaps are?
- How much of an expansion gap needs to be left?
- Where do I leave the expansion gaps?
Flooring expansion gaps are spaces left between the edges of a flooring material and the walls or fixed objects in a room. These gaps are necessary to allow for the expansion and contraction of the flooring material as temperatures and humidity levels change. The size of the expansion gap required depends on the type of flooring material being used and the climate in the room. For example, hardwood flooring typically requires a larger expansion gap than tile or laminate flooring.
Do you really need an expansion gap for a luxury vinyl plank floor? Where you are installing a glue down luxury vinyl flooring then the common practice and line of thought is that you DO NOT need to leave an expansion gap to the extent that you would a floating floor (see Camaro Loc below). Your installer may still need an expansion gap of 1-2mm covered by a suitable sealant. This would be sufficient to accomodate the very slight amount of expansion a bonded floor would exhibit. This would be applicable to LVT ranges such as Karndean Knight Tile; Karndean Van Gogh and Amtico Spacia for examples.
On the other hand, an LVT such as the Polyflor Camaro Loc vinyl flooring (which is a click fit or floating floor), requires a minimum expansion gap of 4mm which should be left around the entire installation perimeter and anything protruding from the subfloor such as, radiator pipes, fixed down items etc. A floating floor (click/loc including rigid core) usually needs 5-10mm, the loose planks will absorb heat and expand like any flooring material, some more than others so you run the risk of it buckling.
Expansion and Acclimatisation
Expansion is a natural phenomenon found in LVT flooring. It can be best described as the increase in the dimensions of a body or substance when subjected to an increase in temperature. It’s diametrically opposite to contraction which is where dimensions reduce owing to cooler conditions. Expansion and contraction are important considerations when installing flooring, particularly with the current trend and increased availability of loose-lay products or systems.
All luxury vinyl flooring products need to be acclimatised to the standard 18-27deg C stated in British Standards or, by exception, to the expected conditions for normal use in the building/room. Failure to work to this temperature range (including before, during and after fitting) will open the product and installation to possible movement. While expansion is a headache onsite and can cause lots of issues, contraction is probably one of the most common aesthetic complaints that modular product manufacturers receive. An otherwise acceptable floor becoming entirely unacceptable to a client owing to gaps between tile joints. There is a much more comprehensivve article that you can read on LVT expansion Gaps, provided by The Contract Flooring Journal.
Our leading LVT ranges include the following: Exclusive by Flooring Hut; Polyflor Camaro; Polyflor Camaro Loc; Karndean Knight Tile; Karndean Van Gogh; Amtico Spacia; Amtico Signature: Luvanto Click Plus and Luvanto Design.
Manufacturers and suppliers will provide information on typical expansion figures for their products and clear guidance as to fitting requirements. If any doubt exists before fitting, always refer to the manufacturer/supplier for guidance.
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