Expansion gap
Deliberate clearance left at walls and at every fixed object so the floor has somewhere to go when it expands.
Gaps are required at all fixed objects and walls — not only at the perimeter. Fixed objects mid-field are where this is most often missed, and where buckling starts.
A floor with nowhere to expand does not stay flat. It lifts.
Related
Terms this one depends on
- BucklingA floor that lifts off its substrate because it expanded and had nowhere to go.
- AnisotropicDescribes a material whose properties differ by direction — in wood, movement across the grain is significant while movement along it is minimal.
- Seasonal gappingVisible gaps that open between boards as the floor contracts, typically in a dry Toronto winter.
Provenance
Where this definition comes from
Framework pillars this term is material to
If you are dealing with this on a real floor: floor restoration, or get a fixed written price after a measure.
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