Maximum floor length without expansion joint?

The maximum floor length you can install without expansion gap mainly depends on two things:

• the shape and size of the room in which the floor will be laid 
• the climate conditions in that room

Shape and temperature of the room

If the room is more or less square and if there aren’t too many indoor climate changes between weekdays and the weekend or during the day, then you can lay up to 13 running metres without extra expansion gaps in the floor surface. The expansion gap along the walls depends on the climate conditions of the room. The swelling and shrinking is linear, so the bigger the surface, the bigger the play at the edge has to be.

Mind the doors 

It is also recommended to foresee expansion gaps under the doors between rooms to separate the rooms. Room humidity can vary according to the season, so it is vital that the floor is able to expand and contract. For this reason, make sure you leave an expansion gap on all sides of the floor, around pipes, thresholds and under doors.

This might occur when one room is heated and the other is not or when there is for example a piece of heavy furniture in one of the rooms. We therefore recommend separating some of the rooms from the rest by creating expansion gaps under the doors between rooms.