Flooring
A Buckled Floor Is Almost Always a Missing Expansion Gap
Floating floors need roughly 10-12 mm of free space at every wall and fixed object, or seasonal swelling lifts the boards.
Wood-based boards gain and lose moisture with the air around them, changing width by a few millimetres per metre across a season. Over a 5 m room that is a centimetre or more of total movement.
The gap is hidden under skirting or beading, never filled with adhesive or caulk, and must also exist around pipes, thresholds, and door frames. Peaking in the middle of a room is the classic symptom of a gap closed at one edge.
Put this into practice
- Flooring CalculatorHow many boxes of flooring should I buy?
More facts like this
- Flooring Must Acclimatise Before It Is LaidMost manufacturers require 48-72 hours of acclimatisation in the room, and will void a warranty without it.
- New Vinyl Flooring Needs to Air Out Before It's 'Finished'The 'new floor smell' is off-gassing, and closing the room up to protect the finish is exactly the wrong move.
- Solid Hardwood Floors Can Only Be Sanded a Limited Number of TimesA solid hardwood floor typically tolerates 4-6 full sandings over its life; an engineered floor with a thin veneer might survive one, or none.