Laminate flooring - how to do edges under skirting

calmgirl

when will people learn that lamminate flooring will not expand, the temp needs to have avariant of about 30oC that aint goingto happen. I have laid lamminate floors for 10 years and have put it up right against the wall every time if the floor was to do anything it will shrink.

Hunnymonster

Edinburghlass wrote:

Fancy a day in Edinburgh to do a homer then Honeymonster

Hey - I'm just a regular bloke lol - I don't lay laminate for a living.... I've just laid about 200 sq.m in the last 18 months - in my old place (to tart it up pre-selling), in my parents (dad's getting on a bit lol) and in the new place..... worn out 3 handsaws and frankly I'd rather watch someone else now

Edinburghlass_2

Hunnymonster wrote:

Hey - I'm just a regular bloke lol - I don't lay laminate for a living.... I've just laid about 200 sq.m in the last 18 months - in my old place (to tart it up pre-selling), in my parents (dad's getting on a bit lol) and in the new place..... worn out 3 handsaws and frankly I'd rather watch someone else now

So am I, does that help :rotfl:

Oh well it was worth a try, you could have stopped in at Leithie's on the way to me

Welcome to MSE Leithie, there are a few others on here from "down your way"

gardnt1

calmgirl wrote:

when will people learn that lamminate flooring will not expand, the temp needs to have avariant of about 30oC that aint goingto happen. I have laid lamminate floors for 10 years and have put it up right against the wall every time if the floor was to do anything it will shrink.

I am a laminate floor fitter..and Ive seen many a laminate floor expand, it all depends on the quality of the boards, humidity and temperature in rooms!

Ideally thats why floors should be left in rooms before fitting for up to 48 hours to acclimatise. Considering you have laid against walls , IMO you have been lucky! Not to say that should you have needed to claim on a guarantee then expansion gaps would have been one thing that the manufacturer would have wanted to check. I was called to a house locally where the floor had risen in the middle, and the problem was that when the skirting had been replaced to hide expansion gap. it had been done with board adhesive...this had squashed between gap, set and had prevented and movement.hence only way to expand was to form bump!

Always leave gaps, and if you want to get near to an item say a staircase or hearth, make sure floor can expand in other directions or fill gap with a coloured silicon.

I agree toilets etc look a lot nicer with floor underneath, and i will always recommend that........very rare though that problems are not encountered! unless very lucky, I have had to extend pipework, wastes etc.....so be prepared!

R00STER00

gardnt1,

As you are an expert I have a question for you.

I am looking at getting wood flooring in my downstairs rooms (Living/Dining/Hallway). Is it better to get solid wood or engineered hardwood? I have heard that solid wood is more prone to expansion and hardwood is thus recommended but I prefer the look of solid wood. Pricing seems similar for both, around 25-30 per sq m.

What would you recommend?

martindow

I'm not too sure about rope around the toilet if there are boys in the house.....!

calmgirl

just a thought about wood floors expanding, take a look at the place where the most wood is in a house ie the roof if this expanding is a problem then the roof on every house in the uk is about to fall off

gardnt1

Laminate is what it says.......laminate, an mdf core................the roof joist etc are usually pre treated/dried and as far as I am aware are designed with a small amount of expansion to?

MDf cores are a different beast altogether, so I would definitely leave an expansion gap!

gardnt1

R00STER00 wrote:

gardnt1,

As you are an expert I have a question for you.

I am looking at getting wood flooring in my downstairs rooms (Living/Dining/Hallway). Is it better to get solid wood or engineered hardwood? I have heard that solid wood is more prone to expansion and hardwood is thus recommended but I prefer the look of solid wood. Pricing seems similar for both, around 25-30 per sq m.

What would you recommend?

I would go for the one you like.......as long as they are installed properly then you will have no problems.........most hardwood/engineered are not installed as floating but secret nailed and glued. expansion gaps are usually filled with cork around fireplaces etc...