24
Appreciation post: My old boss in Tampa swore by a 3/4 inch gap for hardwood expansion, and I thought he was nuts
For years I did a tight 1/2 inch gap like everyone else. Then last summer, a big job in that old humid Florida house I did with a 3/4 inch gap. Came back this week for a different repair and checked it. Zero buckling, zero gapping, perfect. That extra quarter inch over a 40 foot run saved the whole floor from the summer swell. I'm a total convert now. Who else runs a bigger gap than the book says?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
ninam864d ago
My neighbor in Phoenix had the same thing happen with a half-inch gap.
0
danielm154d agoMost Upvoted
Phoenix heat is no joke, but a half inch gap is actually pretty normal for expansion. @ninam86, your neighbor might have seen that, but builders plan for that movement on purpose. A tight seal can cause way worse damage when the materials swell in summer. I've seen doors completely stick and frames crack from not having enough room. Why fight the natural way the house is supposed to move with the seasons?
9