Am I the only one who sees guys not leaving a gap for expansion on laminate jobs?

I did a repair last week where the whole floor buckled because it was tight to the wall. The homeowner said the first installer told him it wasn't needed. How do you make sure that gap stays clear when you're putting down the baseboard?

3 comments

3 Comments

dakota_murphy902mo ago

Ever try those little plastic spacers you pull out later?

robinson.jake2mo ago

Honestly I saw a post where someone said those spacers can actually mess up your grout over time. Something about trapping moisture behind them and causing cracks later on. Tbh I'd just stick with the old school way and pull them when the grout is half dry.

richard_sanchez4310d ago

@dakota_murphy90 I actually was gonna argue with you at first (I've always been a pull-them-out type of guy) but robinson.jake makes a solid point. Never really thought about moisture getting trapped behind those plastic things and ruining the grout down the line. Now I'm second-guessing my whole approach to tiling, which is annoying but probably worth it. Guess I'll be sticking with the old method too, even if it takes a bit more patience. Better safe than sorry with grout work, you know?