Where expansion gaps are needed
- Around the full perimeter of the room at every wall
- Against fixed obstacles such as kitchen islands or hearths
- Around radiator pipes coming up through the floor
- At doorways where flooring changes and needs a threshold bar
- In very large or open-plan rooms, sometimes mid-floor as well
What happens without one
A floor fitted tight to the walls has nowhere to expand into, so on a warm spell it can peak upward at the joints or bow along a wall, and in more severe cases it can push skirting boards or door frames out of alignment. This is one of the most common issues we're called out to correct on DIY laminate jobs.
What the customer needs to know
You won't see the gap once skirting or scotia is refitted, so there's nothing for you to maintain — but it does mean a floating floor shouldn't be permanently sealed at the edges with silicone or filler by a later trade without understanding what it's for.
Coastal humidity along the KY3 shoreline
Homes near the water in Aberdour, Burntisland and along the KY3 coast see more seasonal humidity swings than inland Fife properties, so we're inclined to run slightly larger expansion gaps on timber and laminate floors in these areas to accommodate the extra movement.
Gap size by flooring type
- Laminate: roughly 8-12mm typical, product dependent
- Engineered wood: similar to laminate, wider in large rooms
- Click LVT: smaller gap generally sufficient
- Solid wood: often needs the largest allowance of all