Always thought a 3/8 inch gap at the wall was overkill for engineered wood. A job in Tucson last spring proved me wrong.

The homeowner called back after a hot week, said the floor was buckling at the threshold. I measured the gap and it had closed completely. Now I leave the full gap every single time, no exceptions. How many of you actually stick to that gap spec on every install?

3 comments

3 Comments

vera5032mo ago

That gap spec is for extreme cases like Tucson. In most climates with proper climate control, a smaller gap is fine and looks better. Why leave an ugly gap for a problem that might never happen?

nancy8241mo ago

Oh come on, you're overthinking this. I live in Ohio where humidity swings like crazy and my floors have been through two full seasonal cycles with a 1/4 inch gap. Not a single issue. The mfg spec is 3/8 inch for good reason. Cheap to put in a little quarter round if the gap bugs you that much. But having to rip up a whole floor because it buckled? That's gonna cost way more than looking at a gap for a few days. Ask me how I learned that one.

hernandez.brooke2mo ago

Disagree, I'd rather have a safe gap than risk a costly fix later.