I am considering using kitchen grade laminate flooring on my kitchen floor.
the run would only be about 12 ft long by about 6 ft. is it really necessary
to leave a 10mm gap around the edges for such a small area?

"therebel" wrote in message
...
I am considering using kitchen grade laminate flooring on my kitchen
floor.
the run would only be about 12 ft long by about 6 ft. is it really
necessary
to leave a 10mm gap around the edges for such a small area?



Yes, or you "will" have a big bump in the middle when it gets hot.

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 20:46:48 +0000, John Woodhall wrote:


"therebel" wrote in message
...
I am considering using kitchen grade laminate flooring on my kitchen
floor.
the run would only be about 12 ft long by about 6 ft. is it really
necessary
to leave a 10mm gap around the edges for such a small area?



Yes, or you "will" have a big bump in the middle when it gets hot.

I would agree on leaving the 10mm gap at opposing ends of the 12ft run,
but you can obviously halve the gap to 5mm at the other 2 sides. It is
safe to assume expansion will be proportional to length in any direction.

Or heat the room to the hottest it *could* ever get in the wildest
fanstansies of summer allowing extra for the room being sunbaked with the
windows closed (say 40C) and lay the material with no gap - but that would
be sweaty work ;-

Tim

Tim S wrote:


Or heat the room to the hottest it *could* ever get in the wildest
fanstansies of summer allowing extra for the room being sunbaked with
the
windows closed (say 40C) and lay the material with no gap - but that
would
be sweaty work ;-



Does wood expand when it gets hot ?

It seems to me that in my house wood expands when it's cold & wet and
shrinks when it's hot & dry.

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 13:35:52 -0800, Rolyata wrote:


Tim S wrote:


Or heat the room to the hottest it *could* ever get in the wildest
fanstansies of summer allowing extra for the room being sunbaked with
the
windows closed (say 40C) and lay the material with no gap - but that
would
be sweaty work ;-



Does wood expand when it gets hot ?

It seems to me that in my house wood expands when it's cold & wet and
shrinks when it's hot & dry.

There are two different effects here. Wood tends to swell when wet, but it
will also expand due to temperature by a very similar amount to steel,
all other effects remaining constant. That might very well be offset by
the drying out shrinkage.

Then again, there's not much "wood" involve in laminate. So the question
is whether an MDF like substrate will expand when damp? That I don't know.

Tim

"Tim S" wrote in message
news


Does wood expand when it gets hot ?

It seems to me that in my house wood expands when it's cold & wet and
shrinks when it's hot & dry.

There are two different effects here. Wood tends to swell when wet, but it
will also expand due to temperature by a very similar amount to steel,
all other effects remaining constant. That might very well be offset by
the drying out shrinkage.

Then again, there's not much "wood" involve in laminate. So the question
is whether an MDF like substrate will expand when damp? That I don't know.

I've been to a village hall where no expansion was allowed for the laminate
flooring. there was a huge hump in the middle of the floor and no chairs or
tables were stable in that part.

A son was asked to remove laminate flooring from a kitchen where it had been
laid with no gap. It wasn't a huge area but there were humps.

The reasons aren't worth arguing about, expansion gaps are essential if the
floor is to remain flat.

Mary

Tim

therebel wrote:
I am considering using kitchen grade laminate flooring on my kitchen floor.
the run would only be about 12 ft long by about 6 ft. is it really necessary
to leave a 10mm gap around the edges for such a small area?



I've just done this to my kitchen. I removed all the skirting boards and
sawed under the door architraves so that the gap was concealed under
them - after I replaced the skirting obviously. It looks a treat and
won't buckle in the heat.

Cheers

--
Change nospam to webtribe in e-mail address

"Another Dave" wrote in message
...
therebel wrote:
I am considering using kitchen grade laminate flooring on my kitchen
floor.
the run would only be about 12 ft long by about 6 ft. is it really
necessary
to leave a 10mm gap around the edges for such a small area?



I've just done this to my kitchen. I removed all the skirting boards and
sawed under the door architraves so that the gap was concealed under
them - after I replaced the skirting obviously. It looks a treat and won't
buckle in the heat.

That's the best way and what we did but there are still some who thinks it
look OK with an edging attached to the skirting. I think it looks a dog but
what do I know?

Recently I noticed that this (with the edging) is the way it was done at the
West Yorkshire Playhouse restaurant/community area.

It looks cheap.

Blech.

Mary

Cheers

--
Change nospam to webtribe in e-mail address

Mary Fisher typed:

That's the best way and what we did but there are still some who
thinks it look OK with an edging attached to the skirting. I think it
looks a dog but what do I know?

Recently I noticed that this (with the edging) is the way it was done
at the West Yorkshire Playhouse restaurant/community area.

It looks cheap.

It does, and with everything there is a But.........

If you are putting this spit flooring down In a nice older house the
skirting boards aren't going to come off without a fight, and you stand a
good chance of splitting them into much smaller bits.
You now have to find replacement 8ins mouldings to match your possibly hand
made originals, Very expensive.

Then accident time, very common with the cheep stuff.
Oh ive got a few spare boards left in the loft,
oh I have to take the skirting off (and most of the wall decoration and
plaster with it) again to replace one board.

Next week laminate flooring is now considered tasteless junk
(should have been last month)
Oh I now have a nice big gaps under all my door posts.

YMMV :-)

"Mark" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher typed:

That's the best way and what we did but there are still some who
thinks it look OK with an edging attached to the skirting. I think it
looks a dog but what do I know?

Recently I noticed that this (with the edging) is the way it was done
at the West Yorkshire Playhouse restaurant/community area.

It looks cheap.

It does, and with everything there is a But.........

If you are putting this spit flooring down In a nice older house the
skirting boards aren't going to come off without a fight,

Tell me about it ...

and you stand a
good chance of splitting them into much smaller bits.

We managed it.

You now have to find replacement 8ins mouldings to match your possibly
hand
made originals, Very expensive.

You could make your own - a scratchstock would do it. Spouse has made
mouldings to match others like that.

Then accident time, very common with the cheep stuff.

I don't think ours was all that cheap although we did get a discount. There
were no accidents.

Oh ive got a few spare boards left in the loft,
oh I have to take the skirting off (and most of the wall decoration and
plaster with it) again to replace one board.

Yes, replacing plaster which came off with skirtings was a fag. They were
nailed on into huge wood plugs. They're not now!

Next week laminate flooring is now considered tasteless junk
(should have been last month)
Oh I now have a nice big gaps under all my door posts.

We don't, Spouse was more pernickity about that than he usually is. With me
standing over him.

It also meant that the ancient round pin (both two and three pin) sockets
were removed and their terrifying wiring. The opportunity was taken to
instal new ones. The sixty years of filth from behind the skirtings was
unbelievable.

The horrid carpets have gone and it's so easy to keep clean. I love it. But
I'm not fashion conscious! I couldn't give a damn about what's in and out or
what you or anyone else considers to be bad taste. I probably wouldn't like
what you have in your house but it's not important.

We'd already sanded and polyurethaned the dining room floor and it took such
a long time to do a fine job, it caused a huge amount of mess all round the
house (that dust gets everywhere) and to get that superb finish with top
class varnish was expensive. We thought that laminate would be cheaper and
quicker and less mess. It wasn't any of those things but I'm not sorry that
we did it.


YMMV :-)

?

Mary

Mary Fisher typed:


The horrid carpets have gone and it's so easy to keep clean. I love
it. But I'm not fashion conscious! I couldn't give a damn about
what's in and out or what you or anyone else considers to be bad
taste. I probably wouldn't like what you have in your house but it's
not important.


Not a personal dig at you or anyone, just pointing out some of the pitfalls
in a tongue in cheek way.
Must be a full moon :-)

--
Mark§

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 22:56:32 +0000, Mary Fisher wrote:


"Mark" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher typed:

That's the best way and what we did but there are still some who
thinks it look OK with an edging attached to the skirting. I think it
looks a dog but what do I know?

Recently I noticed that this (with the edging) is the way it was done
at the West Yorkshire Playhouse restaurant/community area.

It looks cheap.

It does, and with everything there is a But.........

If you are putting this spit flooring down In a nice older house the
skirting boards aren't going to come off without a fight,

Tell me about it ...

and you stand a
good chance of splitting them into much smaller bits.

We managed it.

You now have to find replacement 8ins mouldings to match your possibly
hand
made originals, Very expensive.

You could make your own - a scratchstock would do it. Spouse has made
mouldings to match others like that.

Then accident time, very common with the cheep stuff.

I don't think ours was all that cheap although we did get a discount. There
were no accidents.

Oh ive got a few spare boards left in the loft,
oh I have to take the skirting off (and most of the wall decoration and
plaster with it) again to replace one board.

Yes, replacing plaster which came off with skirtings was a fag. They were
nailed on into huge wood plugs. They're not now!

Next week laminate flooring is now considered tasteless junk
(should have been last month)
Oh I now have a nice big gaps under all my door posts.

We don't, Spouse was more pernickity about that than he usually is. With me
standing over him.

It also meant that the ancient round pin (both two and three pin) sockets
were removed and their terrifying wiring. The opportunity was taken to
instal new ones. The sixty years of filth from behind the skirtings was
unbelievable.

The horrid carpets have gone and it's so easy to keep clean. I love it. But
I'm not fashion conscious! I couldn't give a damn about what's in and out or
what you or anyone else considers to be bad taste. I probably wouldn't like
what you have in your house but it's not important.

Couldn't agree more. Talking of objectionable fashions, what is it with
carpets everywhere these days? The *last* place carpet belongs is in the
hall, bathroom and toilet (yuk). Especially with a little 'un. Yet
everywhere I've been that's a post 70's build has it, sadly including our
rented house. Takes me a full day with a Rug Doctor to get everything back
to vaguely decent, lasts a month and it's back to yukville.

We love the laminate we put in our previous flat. Took minutes to clean,
spills wiped off and it looked bright and airy. Really cut down on the
dusting too. We did use a decent make (Pergo). I suppose the same could
all be said of parquet or other wood finishes, only we couldn't afford
them.

The only thing I would criticise it for if it's damn slippery with bare
wet feet from the bathroom (the bathroom and kitchen we did in vinyl).

We'd already sanded and polyurethaned the dining room floor and it took such
a long time to do a fine job, it caused a huge amount of mess all round the
house (that dust gets everywhere) and to get that superb finish with top
class varnish was expensive. We thought that laminate would be cheaper and
quicker and less mess. It wasn't any of those things but I'm not sorry that
we did it.

Just out of interest, what make of varnish would you recommend, Mary, and
how did you apply it (thinned first coat, or any other tips)?

I've got some rotten broken chipboard to replace in my Dad's house, and
having noticed that new pine floorboards are coming in at a similar price
to decent old hardwood boards from the salvage yard, I'm intending to
relay with old boards and do exactly as you did. The mess isn't a problem
as I'll be making a right mess in several different ways at the same time ;-

Thanks

Tim