Lvt installation during warm weather.

[Tony_Park]

Hi,

Over the next couple of days, I'm going to be installing lvt flooring in our garden room. It's very warm atm, do I still need to have the expansion gap? I'm concerned that when it cools down, they'll reduce in size and the ends will be visible from under the beading.

The boards have been in the room for the past 2 weeks acclimatising.

Thanks in advance
Tony

 

[dazlight]

Click or glue down ?

 

[mrrusty]

LVT is supposed to be laid warm - read the manufacturers instructions! - the risk with LVT is that if laid cold it then expands in the sun and wrinkles up.

For plastics you should allow 0.05-0.07mm/degree/m so a 5m room between freezing and under hot sun (say 30 degrees) will expand/contract up to 30 x 5 x 0.07 = 10.5mm - This is the extreme end; if we use the lower coefficient and a lower heat range - say 15 degrees we get 3.75mm for the same 5m room

That should give you an idea what you need to allow. Yes I would still have an expansion gap - is your room exposed to lots of sunlight? is the floor a dark colour? - we all know how hot black car roofs can get with the sun beating down!