IDS Flooring Guru Tony Locke offers some help with a common flooring question

When installing a wood or laminate floor using the floating method, what is the maximum area I can lay before I need to consider mid-floor movement joints?

The point at which you need to insert mid floor movement joints in a wood or laminate floor can vary significantly between flooring types and can also depend on many different factors. These include the wood specie and construction of the flooring, end use environment, width of flooring, direction of install, the type of underfloor heating in place to name just a few.

The golden rule is to refer to the guidelines in the manufacturer’s instructions as these will advise a maximum unbroken run for the flooring being laid. Abiding by the manufacturer’s own instructions is imperative because this will ensure any product warranty is retained and valid. That said, product instructions can never cover all specific end use situations and factors that may cause floor movement, so a mixture of common sense and experience is required to try and identify any other factors that may influence the need for extra floor breakpoints.

Wooden engineered flooring is relatively stable due to its opposing directional layers of plys, however it is still made of wood so the product will naturally expand and contract during seasonal environment changes and changes in heating patterns within the home. Therefore, it’s crucial to leave an appropriate perimeter edge and integrate a movement gap facility during the installation.

Laminate HDF / MDF based floorings are again relatively stable products, and generally more so than real wood products, but even laminate flooring must have movement gaps available in them as they will expand when subjected to changing humidity environments and temperatures. The same rules apply in terms of assessing the individual installation site, complying with the manufacturer’s instructions for movement allowance, etc.

Post-installation movement issues, such as lifting and creaking of boards, are very commonly due to tension rising within a floor where an inadequate movement gap facility has been left at install and the consequences of which only become apparent when humidity levels rise and floors begin to expand and become restricted at a point, or points, around its edges.

In floor, or “in field” as it's sometimes referred to, movement joints are most commonly achieved by leaving a gap between a row of boards. This gap is then covered by an appropriately sized T-moulding trim with the gap either side of the T moulding central upstand being the minimum advised by the flooring manufacturer. In many domestic installations, simply installing a moulding at the door threshold can be enough to allow sufficient expansion and negate the need for further floor joints in the room itself.

T-mouldings might not be considered the most aesthetically pleasing solution but their importance in avoiding floor movement issues should not be underestimated.

There's a huge wealth of product knowledge and experience at IDS, if you have any questions we are always here to help. Just contact [email protected] with your question.