I read on a website that hardwood will expand (swell) across the width
of the strip, but not end to end and therefore you dont need a gap
between the wall and the ends of the hardwood strips.Is this true?

On 27 Dec 2006 18:16:25 -0800, "brent" wrote:

I read on a website that hardwood will expand (swell) across the width
of the strip, but not end to end and therefore you dont need a gap
between the wall and the ends of the hardwood strips.Is this true?


Think humidity..... we are approaching 1700 sf of hardwood flooring on
concrete foundation ( to be expanded to more rooms ) and just image a
1/8" space on all four walls (dense cardboard shims - easily removed).
It snowed in Las Vegas before Christmas... still putting in
floors........

Expand/Swell/Contraction. Follow directions.

--
Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

"brent" wrote in message
ups.com...
I read on a website that hardwood will expand (swell) across the width
of the strip, but not end to end and therefore you dont need a gap
between the wall and the ends of the hardwood strips.Is this true?


Partly true. Most of the expansion is in the width, but on a long run you
can have some expansion on the length so make some allowance for that also.
http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/tech...oodwater1.html

brent wrote:
I read on a website that hardwood will expand (swell) across the width
of the strip, but not end to end and therefore you dont need a gap
between the wall and the ends of the hardwood strips.Is this true?

I cannot give you an exact answer but it will expand in both
directions. Wood is an anisotropic material, i.e. properties are
different in different directions because or orientation.
To see this phenomenon, take a piece square piece of paper, measure it
and soak it and remeasure.
Frank

"brent" wrote in message
ups.com...
I read on a website that hardwood will expand (swell) across the width
of the strip, but not end to end and therefore you dont need a gap
between the wall and the ends of the hardwood strips.Is this true?


It still expands, just not as much. In either case you need to provide some
expansion relieve in both directions, especially when the runs are long.

if my wood gets hard and expands....................
is that the same thing or am I in the wrong place?




"brent" wrote in message
ups.com...
I read on a website that hardwood will expand (swell) across the width
of the strip, but not end to end and therefore you dont need a gap
between the wall and the ends of the hardwood strips.Is this true?