06/04/2026
⚠️⚠️ Expansion Gaps Are Not Optional ⚠️⚠️
One of the most important parts of a flooring installation is something most homeowners never notice…
The expansion gap.
Hardwood, engineered hardwood, LVP, laminate, and even tile installations need room for movement.
Whether it’s a house, office, retail store, apartment complex, hospital, or elevator, flooring systems must be installed with proper movement accommodation. Physics doesn’t care what type of building you’re in.
Wood expands and contracts with humidity.
LVP and laminate react to environmental conditions.
Tile may stay relatively stable, but the house, slab, and framing underneath it move constantly.
When proper expansion space isn’t left around walls and fixed objects, pressure builds up over time.
The result can be:
- Buckling floors
- Peaking planks
- Tenting tile
- Cracked grout
- Squeaks and movement
- Costly repairs
That’s why NWFA, TCNA, ANSI, CFI, CRI, and flooring manufacturers all require some form of movement accommodation.
The floor isn’t failing because it moved.
It’s failing because it wasn’t given room to move.