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Kept seeing guys lay LVP without leaving expansion gaps by the baseboards

Pulled up 3 jobs last week where the planks were buckling because nobody left a 1/4 inch gap at the walls, has anyone else run into this on remodel work?
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3 Comments
blake792
blake7921mo ago
Did you read that article from LVP installers monthly that tested this? They found even a tiny gap like 1/8 inch can cause issues if the room gets humid enough. I've seen it myself where guys try to save time by butting the planks right up against the baseboard and then six months later the floor's popping up all over. The extra quarter inch is a pain, but it's way better than ripping out the whole floor.
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davidkim
davidkim1mo agoMost Upvoted
Feel you on this @the_jamie. I had a job last year where the homeowner fought me on the gap. Begged me to push the planks tight to the baseboard. I said no way. We did the quarter inch. Sure enough a wet summer came and his neighbor's floor buckled. Called me up. I told him that's what happens when you skip the gap.
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the_jamie
the_jamie1mo ago
Man I learned that one the hard way on my first bathroom reno haha.
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