National Floor Covering Association

Promoting industry standards for resilient, carpet, hardwood, laminate, cork and bamboo floor covering installations.

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Expansion gaps matter

Expansion gaps matter

Expansion gaps matter but are so often overlooked when installing moisture or temperature sensitive floor covering products. Wood, laminate & LVT floating floors expand and contract as site conditions (relative humidity and temperature) change through the four-season cycle. T-Caps, overlap nosings and transition strips are designed as a finishing detail (for doorways, stair landings etc.) to cover necessary expansion spaces that enable seasonal movement. T-Caps and other overlap transitions are often installed using too much adhesive which bonds the floor covering to the substrate and or adjacent rigid floor coverings such as ceramic tile. This prevents inevitable natural movement which leads to tension in the floor system causing buckling, squeaking, lifting edges, stress fractures, broken locking joints and unnecessary claims.
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