Laminate needs wall clearance

When laying laminate, leave a space around the walls to the panel. But there is no need to worry: This gap will not be visible later, because it will be covered by skirting boards.

Why is the distance from the laminate panel to the wall necessary?

The base material of laminate is high-density fiberboard (HDF). It consists of more than 90 percent natural wood fibers and reacts to environmental influences such as heat, cold or moisture. Wood is at works, the expert speaks of hygroscopic behavior. This refers to the absorption and release of moisture that causes the material to expand or contract. The laminate panels need space for this. With the distance from the wall, you give the wood the space it needs.

How large should the distance between the wall and the laminate floor be?

The gap between laminate and wall should circumferentially be 10 mm. This distance must also be maintained for other solid objects such as door frames, heating pipes, stoves or furniture legs. This centimeter of space will not be visible later because it will be covered by skirting boards or transition profiles.

If your room is larger than 8 x 12 m, a expansion joints should be incorporated in addition to the wall clearances.

How can the wall distance be maintained?

Use spacers that you clamp between the wall and the laminate to fix the gap. You can buy these spacers or distance wedges in any hardware store. Household items such as clothespins, corks, wooden blocks or the like are also suitable as a cheaper substitute.

When laying the first row of panels, the spacers are clamped between the wall and the laminate approximately every 50 cm. Make sure that the wedge does not sit directly on a joint, but a little bit beside it. Please leave the spacers in place until the last row has been installed, so that nothing slips during installation. They should only be removed once the laying is complete. This is easiest to achieve with products from the hardware store, because household items can become wedged more easily.

Our laminate installation videos will come in handy during installation. In individual episodes, we will show you how quickly and easily Click laminate can be installed. The subject of wall clearance is explained in the #cut-and-clic clip.

What happens if the distance is not maintained?

If you do not keep the distance from the wall, you increase the probability of damage to your new laminate. Possible consequences are bulges and compression of the floor, crack formation, flaking decor or breaking of tongue and groove. It will no longer be possible to repair this consequential damage. The damaged floor must be replaced.

In addition, the guarantee on your new laminate flooring will invalidate if you do not comply with the specified edge distance to all fixed elements.

The effort to meticulously maintain this distance is essential.

What does floating installation mean in the context of laminate flooring?

When it comes to floating installation, the laminate is not firmly attached to the sub-floor, but only laid on top. This is how the engineered wood can "work". This means that the material has enough room to expand and contract like wood depending on temperature and humidity.
Furthermore, a floating installation is also a simple way of laying laminate flooring. And it can also be easily removed again.