Continuos Wooden Flooring

Shelster · 29 Oct 2014 at 13:35

Quick query....

am going to be putting down an oak floor in my new place once I can get in and reading the guidelines from teh place where I bought the flooring from, they say that an expansion gap should beleft when running from one room to another?

Is this really the case? Have done engineered flooring and laminate before that has run through multiple room with no expansion gaps and have had no issues, so is solid flooring different?

The cynic in me sees this as a way of them selling the edging / transition strip whehn they are not really needed.

Kimi · 29 Oct 2014 at 13:54

I think thats because solid wood flooring swells more so than laminate but surely the usual gap around the edge would be ok? it would look a bit naff with a strip between the doors.

Participant · 29 Oct 2014 at 14:34

Depends on the subfloor material and temperature differentials (if any) between the rooms imo.

If it's one solid continuous concrete floor going between two equally-heated rooms for example, there wouldn't be a need for a gap. However any change in height or material from one room to the other, then a gap would be needed to stop the boards expanding and contracting at different rates.

Typically though, I'd see a reason only for a gap under the skirts and architraves and at the edges, rather than between rooms. Continuous would look much better.

Shelster · 29 Oct 2014 at 16:23

Subfloor is one continuous concrete slab.

Was thinking it may be due to an increase in the expansion of solid wood over the other floors, but engineered is solid (albeit a ply substrate).

Will be doing gap around edge of room (very handy as can hide network cabling in there too before putting skirting back on)

Suppose if if goes pete tong then can add a gap after the fact with very cunning use of skill saw and cover gap with threashold, but prefer the aesthetics of having a continuous run through.

Will be putting intumescent strips on bottom of doors for draught proofing too

spoffle · 29 Oct 2014 at 16:29

The gaps are at end the floor meets walls, so a continuous floor isn't an issue, and you won't need gaps between rooms or anything.

wazza300 · 29 Oct 2014 at 16:34

ive done an entire flat continuous throughout with no issue's it was with 8mm laminate though,slab was also concrete but with tar and vinyl ontop

inogen · 29 Oct 2014 at 16:39

We had a solid oak floor put in an old house some time ago. Concrete underfloor.

Was all fine until about 6 months in there was a cracking sound one night and the floor split right down the middle like a mountain range.

The problem is with oak flooring is how well it's seasoned or aged. The less, the more you need gaps. Especially with the grain, which is the where it will expand and contract the most. Unfortunately, most oak nowadays isn't aged like it was / needs to be.

Our house was prone to extreme temperature fluctuations too. Large open plan room where the oak was went all the way to the front door. Also had a log burner in and oil fired central heating. Needed a lot to get warm, but then for a few hours a night was roasting. Then freezing again the morning. I'm sure this made the floor worse, but you do need to take care.