It's not unusual for gaps to develop between the ends of laminate flooring pieces months or years after installation, and the result looks exactly like shrinkage.
Quick-Step Laminate floors expand and contract in function of changing relative humidity conditions in the room. The HDF core board is isotropic and works, equal in both length and width. This means it is extremely important to have expansion gaps of 8 to 10 mm along all walls, around radiator pipes, etc.
Humidity can make your laminate floor boards shrink or expand a bit. This fluctuation in humidity levels can cause them to click loose and move, resulting in openings between the boards. Fortunately, you don't have to remove the entire floor to close these open joints.
If your laminate boards are separating, it's possible that the edges simply didn't engage properly when the flooring was laid. However, it's worth noting that sometimes your boards may have separated because the locking mechanism is faulty or broken.
Why does my laminate flooring feel bouncy? It's normal for yourlamiante flooring to feel a little bit bouncy. A minor amount of “deflection” (feeling the flooring compress and spring back underfoot) is actually a good thing – that slight give means the flooring is absorbing some of the impact of your steps.
Gaps in wood floors are normal and occur when the wood loses its moisture content. Several factors can be the cause. Often gapping can result with flooring installed during periods of higher humidity. Months later, usually during the heating season, those gaps start to show up.
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.
This may be being caused if you haven't paced the first boards you fitted to the external edge, if you have boards that can flex or bow they will pull apart. Make sure you have lots of packers that are quite close to each other making sure your first boards are true and straight.
The first thing you need to remember is that wood is first and foremost a natural product. Therefore, it is imperfect – spacing and size can change over time, especially as weather or humidity levels change. As temperatures rise, the wood boards expand and contract. This causes those ugly gaps in your floor.
Extra Padding Poses a Risk
By adding unnecessary cushioning, you could actually be causing more harm to your floor than good. The added friction could cause the underlayment to wear down quickly and make your floors less stable over time, causing stress on the floating floor's locking system joints.
For gaps around the edge of the room you can either use skirting boards or beading. If you have taken off the existing skirting to install your new floor, then replace this with new. If you have left the original skirting in place when fitting your floor, cover the expansion gap with beading.
An interstitial space is an intermediate space located between regular-use floors, commonly located in hospitals and laboratory-type buildings to allow space for the mechanical systems of the building.
All wooden floors should have gaps to allow for the floor to move due to expansion and contraction. Otherwise tension accumulates as the boards push into each other causing the boards to be pushed upwards also known as buckling.
The pass level for ASTM F 2199 is such that shrinkage of up to 0.024” / linear foot is considered a “pass”. This equates to a maximum allowable gap of 0.072” for a typical three foot plank, which is more than double the thickness of a credit card.
One of the most common reasons why laminate flooring develops space between floorboards is temperature. A rise in temperature leads to expansion, while a decrease in temperature leads to contraction.
Your vinyl planks will be placed parallel to the focal wall or the longest wall in the room. Measure out the length and width of the room, and divide the width of the room by the width of the planks. Plan for ¼” gap along the walls to allow for expansion.
Laminate flooring is very thin, so any unevenness on the subfloor will eventually begin to show as the floor settles into position – you can find out more about this in our 'What is laminate flooring' guide. The spongy effect can be caused by a dip in the subfloor causing an air gap underneath the laminate flooring.
Avoid excessive water when mopping, which can seep into the seams between boards, causing swelling. Laminate flooring will not tolerate standing pools of water, which often appear in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. For areas with heavy moisture, you need an impervious surface, such as vinyl or porcelain tile.
Don't install your laminate on any floor with a drain. Don't install laminate on any uneven subfloor or outdoors. Don't install your laminate over residential carpet. Don't install a second layer of laminate underlayment.
Laminate flooring will snap and pop as you walk on it if it's bridging across hollow spots under the flooring. Your weight stresses the interlocking tongues and grooves in the flooring, causing the noise. It's nearly impossible to stop this noise after a laminate floor is installed.