Alternative for Cork Edging on Oak Floor

[TommyP100]

We have recently laid a floating, glue jointed solid oak floor in our lounge / dining room. Expansion gaps were left around the edges and skirting boards raised to cover the gap. Only gaps that were left uncovered were in front of our chimney breast in the Dining Room and hearth in the lounge.

I originally filled these gaps with Cork Edging strips but our main issue is that we have house rabbits as pets and they love to pull up and eat the cork.

First bet would be to get rid of the bunnies but that's not an option so is there another product to finish of the edging that will be more 'bunny proof?

Thanks in advance, Tom.

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[Ricardus]

I'm sure one of the flooring pro's will correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know you're not supposed to fill the expansion gaps with cork at all, just leave it open.

I think it was something to do with parquet floors that got muddled in with laminate installs.

 

[crazydaze]

As has been said, you should never fit cork stripping around the edge of any floating floor, be it Laminate, Engineered or Solid wood or click LVT. you have blocked up the expansion gap that the floor needs to stay stable.

Take all the strips up and fit scotia or quadrant over the gap, this will allow the floor to move in the way that it is designed too. Left as is, the floor will buckle.

Covering the expansion gap against exposed brick is never perfect, but we would tend to use a solid square edging strip, possibly with a run of sealant to stop dust etc collecting in the uneven gap along the brick face.

Essentially, by fitting the cork, you may as we'll have not bothered and butted everything against the skirting etc. out of interest, why, or who advised you to use cork strips?

 

[Ricardus]

out of interest, why, or who advised you to use cork strips?

Actually one of the national diy chains sells "Cork expansion strips ... suitable for all flooring" and their "How to lay laminate flooring" guide says to put them in the expansion gaps.

 

[crazydaze]

out of interest, why, or who advised you to use cork strips?

Actually one of the national diy chains sells "Cork expansion strips ... suitable for all flooring" and their "How to lay laminate flooring" guide says to put them in the expansion gaps.

Then that advice, is unbelievably worrying!

A Floating floor system is designed to expand and contract, if uou fill the gap, it can't expand.