Why is it important to leave room for expansion when laying the floor?
Timber like all materials expands and contracts, however Engineered Timber, constructed on a cross-ply base, does not absorb as much moisture as a solid timber floor would, therefore is more stable in its movement, it is required that at least 10mm expansion joint is left on the perimeter of the floor, which is covered either with a Scotia or skirting (wall trim), for greater areas we suggest you use a 20mm Scotia as well. Timber also expands more in the width, rather than the length, this is why solid timber sometimes leaves evidence of grooves where they have been joined, these appear as if they have slightly cupped if you look down the length of the floor. For larger floors of over 8 meters we recommend 1.4mm per meter gap, example 8x 1.4 = 13.6 or 14mm. Refer to instructions.
