Does laminate flooring expand?

Like many flooring materials, laminate can expand when the climate of your room changes. This means it’s important to leave an expansion gap so that shifts in temperature and moisture don’t cause damage to your floor – but how much space do you need?

Our helpful guide will teach you everything you need to know about laminate flooring expansion gaps, from why they’re needed, to how much space you need to leave around your floors. By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll hopefully be an expert on all things expansion gaps!

What is an expansion gap?

An expansion gap is an area of free space left around your flooring to allow it to expand. When there are changes to a room’s climate, such as temperature or humidity levels, flooring materials have a tendency to expand as they get accustomed to their new surroundings.

Without an expansion gap, expanding floors wouldn’t have enough space to move, which can cause your planks to collide with their surroundings (walls, cabinets, radiators, etc.) and move upward.

As a result, your floors might start feeling bouncy or buckling, leading to chips and cracks in your laminate. Luckily, expansion gaps aren’t usually visible in a room as they’re covered by skirting boards or other edging options, so you can protect your floors from damage without affecting your interior design.

Does laminate flooring expand?

Yes, laminate flooring expands when the climate in your room changes because the wood fibres used to make laminate are porous, which means water and moisture can pass through them much more easily than waterproof flooring options.

As such, the core of your laminate planks will swell when exposed to moisture so they can make room for the extra water in their structure, which leads to the rest of your floor expanding over time.

Since laminate floors aren’t nailed or glued to your subfloor, this expansion can’t be prevented. That’s why we add expansion gaps to our laminate floors instead where possible – so that it has room to “breathe”.

Before you add laminate floors to a room, you should leave your laminate to acclimate to the temperature and moisture levels for at least 48 hours beforehand. This means your laminate will have time to expand and adjust to its surroundings before you fit it, so you won’t be fitting your room with incorrectly measured floors.

Which direction does laminate flooring expand in?

When laminate floors experience a change in moisture or temperature, they expand in all directions. Expansion mainly starts from the middle of your floor and continues out towards the edges of your room, so you should make space around your whole laminate floor instead of focusing on one particular direction.

You can plan for this by using spacers when laying laminate flooring, which will make sure your floors stay the correct distance from anything that may get in the way of your expanding materials until they’ve settled. 

How much is the expansion gap for laminate flooring?

Depending on your chosen product, your laminate’s expansion gap will vary. Whether it’s due to the size of your planks, or their resistance to moisture, each laminate has its own properties that affect expansion and need to be taken into account.

When installing your laminate flooring, be sure to check the instructions provided by your manufacturer to know how much space you should be leaving as an expansion gap. Generally, you can use the thickness of your laminate to estimate the expansion gap required (such as a 10mm thick laminate needing a 10mm gap), but this isn’t always the case.

A typical laminate expansion gap can range from 8mm to 12mm, but some manufacturers will suggest an even bigger gap than this. If you’re unsure of how big a gap you’ll need, don’t hesitate to contact an expert for advice.

What edging options are available?

One thing that’s often overlooked when calculating the cost of installing laminate floors is the edging options that will cover your expansion gap. Edging refers to the boards added to the edges of the area you’re flooring. They’re designed to “float” over your gap to make sure it isn’t visible in your room, and to prevent debris from getting in the way.

The most common edging option you’ll see in homes is a skirting board, but a smaller option such as beading or scotia can also help to protect your expansion gap. You can also use a floor trim when combining two materials into one floor, such as if you’re creating an open plan design between multiple rooms.

Find the right laminate in our range

Without an expansion gap, your floors could be at risk of damage and your laminate could develop a strange bouncy feeling. That’s why it’s crucial to leave the correct amount of space when laying your laminate floors and to cover up with an appropriate edging option.

And if you’re looking to add laminate floors to your home, why not browse Flooring King’s wide collection of options on our website?

Whether you want to give your room a traditional feel with wood-effect natural laminate, or you’re aiming for a moodier design with dark laminate, we’ve got you covered. Get in touch today if you have any questions about bringing laminate floors into your home – our team are happy to help with projects of any size!