Laminate Flooring Installation Temperature

Laminate flooring will expand and contract relative to the air humidity content in a room.

Laminate flooring installation temperature.

Slide the first two rows into their final position and repeat steps 5 and 6 above using the same alternating plank technique to complete the process. To allow for this expansion place 3 8 inch spacers along the wall to leave a consistent gap around the edges of the floor. If you install laminate flooring in any room that doesn t meet the necessary requirements for temperature and humidity you could have problems with the floor in the future. To do this arrange your boxes of flooring with flat and side by side.

The installation of your laminate flooring is the critical time to think about humidity. The first thing to know when learning how to lay laminate flooring is that all laminate flooring will expand and contract due to temperature and humidity fluctuations. When installing a floating laminate floor you don t need to use any adhesive nails or staples. Laminate flooring isn t exactly wood but it s made of a wood byproduct and it undergoes expansion and contraction with fluctuating humidity.

Operating surface temperature must be less than 85 f. Roughly speaking high moisture content equals expansion. Decrease temperature before installation. Now if a laminate floor is installed at a low temperature and then the temperature rises significantly this in turn will alter the air humidity of the relevant room.

Expert installers say that the larger the space the larger the expansion gap should be as the floor needs more space to expand and contract with temperature. Laminate flooring manufacturers recommend leaving a 1 4 inch expansion gap around the perimeter of the floor to give the boards room to expand. It therefore needs a period of acclimation in the. Flooring installation calls for pads that have a cloth foam or soft rubber material on the.

Flooring is hard on the knees and the wrong knee pads will scratch laminate floors. So before starting any laminate job pay attention to the furniture in the room. Carpet needle punch felt edge glued linoleum and other moisture absorbing flooring radiant heated subfloor this product can be installed over radiant heated subfloor. Before you decide to install laminate flooring in your building you need to know the temperature range and humidity levels needed for this type of flooring.

Don t put them flush against the wall. Unacceptable floor coverings include. The recommended expansion gap is a minimum of inch.