Do Bamboo Floors Expand And Contract

Allow this normal movement in all installations by providing the recommended side or perimeter expansion gap or spacing per product.

Do bamboo floors expand and contract.

When floor planks are nailed or glued down to the sub floor each plank will expand and contract a tiny amount. In order to avoid this you should make sure your sub floor is well insulated. All bamboo and wood expands and contracts in response to humidity. Many people don t realize what a dynamic material wood is and how it will expand or contract with small variations in the environment.

It is the top non engineered wood ish floor product for dimensional stability. In most cases the answer is nothing. Engineered bamboo is manufactured with a surface veneer bonded to a plywood or mdf core. This is normal wood flooring behavior and is what causes small gaps to develop between planks in the winter.

When i say spaces they are defined as installing the flooring up to and away from the fixed objects. When you ve selected hardwood flooring for your home you ve purchased a living product. Solid hardwoods by far will expand and contract more than engineered products. Changes in the weather can be reflected in your hardwood flooring too.

It is understood that wood flooring will expand and contract in relation to the in door humidity and temperature levels. Carbonised vertical bamboo flooring with an expansion gap. Here s a brief primer on what s normal for a wood floor as well as how to avoid any true moisture damage. Usually categorized with hardwood bamboo is different enough to make a difference in this area.

Engineered flooring which is attached to the subfloor. Because of its hygroscopic properties all wood and bamboo expands and contracts in response to humidity levels even after its cut and turned into flooring. This installation method is easier for diyers and it also has the advantage of allowing the floor to expand and contract as humidity levels change. Yes bamboo flooring requires an expansion gap to allow for the planks of flooring to naturally expand and contract without causing any damage or distortion.

In glue and nail down applications tongue and groove each individual plank expands and contracts while secured to the subfloor. In most cases the perimeter expansion gap is related to the thickness of the new flooring. These products always use the click lock floating floor installation method. Expansion and contraction is to be expected in a natural product like hardwood flooring.