When installing floating vinyl floors it is necessary to allow for this expansion by leaving a gap around the perimeter of the floor or anywhere it meets another floor or vertical surface.
Expansion gap for sheet vinyl.
Loose lay floating pin with trim perimeter adhered at the perimeter or fully adhered installation methods.
Vinyl is susceptible to temperature changes in its ambient environment which will cause the vinyl flooring to expand and contract with normal hot and cold fluctuations.
For metal door jambs that cannot be undercut leave a 1 8 expansion gap and caulk with 100 silicone caulking.
Leave a 1 16 inch gap between the walls and the luan panel.
Please see your product installation materials for specific instructions on the necessary expansion gap.
Here are some tips for leaving an expansion gap easily.
Tongue and groove vinyl the kind that snaps together like laminate is a different story.
With the installation of laminate came under cutting of door moldings fitting the flooring away from the wall and installing molding to hide the expansion gap.
When using luan as an underlayment for vinyl it s better to use sheet.
This document is reviewed on an ongoing basis.
The proprietary engineered backing of the flooring allows for multiple installation methods including.
Your particular brand of loose lay vinyl may require a slightly different size expansion gap so read the manufacturer s directions carefully.
Expansion sheet vinyl by congoleum is a 15 foot wide sheet vinyl which is over 20 wider than the typical sheet vinyl so fewer seams are needed.
Spread out the vinyl on a clean floor that is larger than the template tape the template to it and cut the vinyl to shape.
Leave a gap of about inch between the floor and the wall on all sides.
With these you need that expansion gap just like you do on other types of floating floors.
Work from the center to the walls butting sheets against the ends of the first one and screwing them down.
Floating vinyl and expansion gaps.
This helps keep the floor from buckling and working itself apart as it expands and contracts with temperature changes.
There should be a 1 8 inch expansion gap between the edges of the sheets.
And leave a 1 16 inch expansion gap between panels.
Yes an expansion gap is needed for vinyl flooring to allow for expansion or contracting due to temperature changes.
Vinyl manufacturers tried several times with floating sheet products.