The floor must first lay flat to stay flat. If Fiberglass Cushioned Vinyl is installed within the perimeter of the quarter round, fill in the exposed expansion gap with a permanent flexible silicone caulking.
Caulking is required if there is a gap of at least one-eighth of an inch between the flooring and the baseboard. This helps to protect them from moisture and dust.
Tapi Top Tip If you're laying vinyl in a bathroom, it's a good idea to seal the edges of the floor with silicone to ensure it's completely waterproof.
If Fiberglass Cushioned Vinyl is installed within the perimeter of the quarter round, fill in the exposed expansion gap with a permanent flexible silicone caulking. Use permanent flexible silicone caulk next to bathtubs showers, sliding doors and in similar areas.
If the proper expansion gap is not left during installation, and the planks on the sides push up against the wall, the pressure will cause planks elsewhere in the room to buckle. Buckling floors are repairable, however, they are a major inconvenience and can be tricky.
Do you need to take an expansion joint into account when installing a rigid vinyl floor? Yes, in all potential situations we always recommend an expansion joint of 5 mm on all sides so that your floor can expand and shrink as the temperature changes.
If the floor is less than 50 ft in length or width, leave at least a ¼-inch expansion gap around the entire perimeter. If the floor is between 50–85-ft, increase the expansion gap to ½-inch around the entire perimeter.
We recommend using a latex-acrylic caulk with added silicone. Latex-Acrylic-Silicone caulk products are available in different colours to better match flooring or baseboard paint colour. They adhere well to wood, MDF, and composite baseboards and have enough flexibility to minimize cracking.
ROBERTS Putty effectively fills gaps, nicks and scratches on Wood, Laminate and Vinyl flooring. Fast drying, it can be used during installation to fill nail and screw holes, or to repair damage on existing floors. The putty comes in a 3 oz. easy to squeeze tube for quick application.
Side Plank Separation
Humidity and temperature changes can cause planks to contract, creating gaps along the sides. Improper installation can also be the culprit. Either way, these unsightly spaces can be easily fixed with a tube of putty.
All building materials, vinyl flooring included, expand and contract as temperatures change. To allow for that movement without causing the planks to buckle as they expand or slip apart as they shrink, installers are supposed to leave an expansion gap around the perimeter of the room.
Anytime you install laminate flooring in a bath, laundry room or kitchen, you should use AC3-rated flooring, leave 1/4-in. expansion gaps at the walls and fixtures, and then fill the gaps at flooring ends with 100 percent silicone caulk.
Choosing Acrylic latex caulk is not advisable in such a case, as this caulk dissolves in water and might damage when you mop the floors, requiring you to reseal. Thus, consider acrylic latex or silicone caulk, which are waterproof.
The gap is always hidden by a piece of trim molding, like a quarter-round or a transition. Against metal doorframes and areas where you cannot install a molding, use a color-coordinated silicone caulk to fill the gap and allow the floor to expand into the gap when necessary.
Both luxury vinyl tile and vinyl plank flooring expand and contract when exposed to changes in weather, including temperatures. The expansion and contraction are only fractions of an inch, but this can make a difference.
Without an expansion gap 'buckling' is a common problem. The expanding laminate floor has no gap to allow for movement. This will cause laminate floorboards to be forced up, often causing a bounce. In extreme cases, it can damage the click system.
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.
Natural causes like sunlight and heat are one major reason for bubbling vinyl flooring. As the material warms (and cools), it can expand and contract, widen and shrink, and that constant changing of size can lead to buckling.
Vinyl flooring is more likely to expand in the summer due to higher temperatures and humidity levels. In the winter, the material tends to contract as temperatures and humidity levels decrease. It is crucial to maintain consistent indoor conditions to minimize these fluctuations.
If the expansion gap is too small or nonexistent, the flooring will not have room to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. This can cause the flooring to buckle, warp, or even lift up from the subfloor.
Click-Lock vinyls need an expansion gap to expand and contract as a floating floor. Use shims or spacers along the perimeter walls. Do check your subfloor with a level.