Floating Floorboards - Expansion Gap / Preparation

Hi all

Currently tackling a standard floating floorboard install, just with cheapo boards from bunnings. Anyway the instructions/stuff i've read all say you need an expansion gap of 1/4" around the perimeter, i think this is to ensure if the temperature rises and the wood expands that it doesn't all pop up etc? Anyway, I am wondering as I have read something about putting cork in the expansion gap, is this necessary/do i need to buy strips of cork for the expansion gaps, or is it ok to just leave them as is (i am removing skirting boards laying floating floorboards 7mm MDF and reattaching skirtings), or do I really need something to sit between the floorboards and the wall to ensure the expansion gap remains? The boards will be installed on a concrete slab with foam/moisture proof underlay.

Also my other question is, when removing tack strips for carpet from concrete, the little nails holding the wooden tack strips down are hammered into the cement slab. When I pull these nails out a little chunk of cement usually comes with it. Some of these 'holes' in the slab where the cement has came out are now about 5cm wide and up to 1cm deep. Do i need to put self levelling cement compound or something in these holes to ensure a smooth flat surface, or because they are only around the permimeter/outer walls edge of the rooms this shouldn't have an effect on the stability/quality of the floating floor installation?

Many thanks for your help all :)

Im actually in the process of doing the same thing at my unit. Im getting the floor from a carpet company and they suggest leaving 10mm around the perimeter. a bit over kill i think but i`ll do it anyway. dont put cork or anything else around the expansion joint , just let it breathe. if you use 18-19mm skirting the gap will easily be covered.
As for all the concrete coming out i have about 50 holes like yours. Seeing as they are that small im not going to worry . Theres no way the holes will affect the boards being that close to the wall . the boards will float right over them.
Dont forget the 3mm underlay either.

Sol is right. Just leave 6mm or so around the edges. Since the floor is locked together, it will expand and contract as though it were one piece--thus the allowance. The skirting will cover nicely. Do not worry about the cement holes--no dramas there.

No cork or anything needed or wanted. Typically, the only tricky bit is getting it into doorways between rooms, but you don't mention it so I assume it is not an issue. :)

Don't underestimate the expansion rate of laminate flooring, and bear in mind the longer or wider the floor, the more end gap is needed to accomodate expansion.

Best method is remove skirting and trim wall cladding back to frame, this gives a generous gap and allows replaced skirting to easily cover board ends.

The board you start each run with needs to be temporarily fixed to prevent sliding back into the gap too.

Don't forget plastic sheet (dampcourse) over concrete first.

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Originally Posted by Outbackrr

The board you start each run with needs to be temporarily fixed to prevent sliding back into the gap too.

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For this I have always used plastic spacers, which should be readily available at Bunnies.

Really wish you the best on this one.

We did everything that all the guys have mentioned, but it was an absolute disaster. We are now having a 'professional' lay it in February.

It turns out there was so much more to it, than just 'clicking' it together if you know what i mean.

We figure that where we went wrong, was the area we were trying to do, was extremely large, the slab was uneven, we had angled walls and although we kept the spacers in whilst we were laying, somehow the damned thing kept 'slipping'. We were at our wits end.

If it had been a 'square' room and not so large, we probably would have been OK. But we were definitely in over our heads.

We just lost our confidence when we had one problem after another.

We followed the Bunnings DVD on how to lay (that was later placed under hubby's burn out car and sent catipulting into space!!)

Really hope it goes well for you. :2tsup:

almost all products will require minimum 10mm expansion gaps all the way around the perimeter. This means 10mm all the way around, if in one spot you were lazy and left say 6mm then your expansion on your whole floor is only 6mm, if you get what i mean, and it will void warranty, thats if bunnings even have one.

Also for every meter over 6meter span you will need to allow another millimeter. Example 8m room allow 10mm plus the extra 2mm expansion.

If you are in an area with higher temperature ranges possibly allow more.

All that aside, floating floors are designed for the DIY market, it is not all that hard using some common sense! good luck

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Originally Posted by 123

All that aside, floating floors are designed for the DIY market, it is not all that hard using some common sense! good luck

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There's common sense and then there's the 'hidden surprises'.
Dammit, since you say it's a 'standard floating floor', hope you don't have the latter of the two. :wink:
Good luck.