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?

2 comments

2 Comments

vera50317d 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?

hernandez.brooke17d ago

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