# laminate floor -- minimum plank width



## curiousburke (Jun 5, 2011)

Help from anyone with floating floor experience would be greatly appreciated.

I'm installing, or will be installing a laminate floor and I have just an inch between the last board and the wall. I've seen it recommend that the minimum width is 2", but is there a good reason not to use a 1" board or is it aesthetic?

btw, the expansion gap is already accounted for. with the molding, there would be an 1/8" gap on each side.

thanks in advance,
Mark


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## shadytrake (Jul 8, 2012)

So you are saying that you have an extra 1/8" gap showing outside the baseboard? Do you have a quarter round down? I'm thinking that would solve it but I'm not a flooring pro. I have done a lot of baseboard work in my house though. Whenever I have this issue I either look for a larger baseboard (can be costly) or see if quarter round will work. 

One time I actually used some other type of trim (not for floors) because it was larger than quarter round. As long as it is installed correctly then caulked at the seam between it and the baseboard, it looks custom.

My point is, you don't have to use just flooring trim. Other trims will work but your baseboards may look bulkier. I don't have a good pic of the one I did but I'll find a link to show you what I mean.


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## shadytrake (Jul 8, 2012)

Here you go for a link. I used one like the 1x1 trim and you can't tell that it isn't a custom baseboard except for one thing. It was my first time cutting trim and I forgot to angle my edge at the end. It's white and blends. Only a pro would notice it.

http://jjwohlferts.com/products/product-catalog/img/Assorted-Trim-32.jpg


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If you have not even started laying it yet then all you have to do is rip the first row so it's narrower. What ever you take off the first row will make the last row wider by that amount.


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## shadytrake (Jul 8, 2012)

Or you could make it easier and rip the first row like Joe said. LOL


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## curiousburke (Jun 5, 2011)

thanks for all the replies.

I looked at thicker base molding, but none of the samples i have would cover it. We prefer not to add shoe molding.

I have not started yet, so I could rip the first row, but I was hoping not to have to rip both sides, plus there is a third wall that would then have a narrow board.

Is there anything bad about having a 1" wide board?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

It's hard to get one that narrow to lock. Just use wood glue on the joint.

When I install laminite I never remove the baseboards. 
By doing that I have a solid surface to tap againt, the spacer does not keep trying to slide under the sheetrock.

If this is new constrution and there are no baseboards installed how do you plan on spacing the flooring away from the bottom plates and be able to get it out once the floors done?


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## shadytrake (Jul 8, 2012)

I don't think it would float very well and tend to shift under the trim. My 2 cents


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## curiousburke (Jun 5, 2011)

Shadytrake, are you saying it would unlock from the other boards? That would be bad, but I could glue the first row to the second.

It would be nice to know why 2" is recommended, but I'm guessing the manufacturer wouldn't say.


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## curiousburke (Jun 5, 2011)

joecaption said:


> It's hard to get one that narrow to lock. Just use wood glue on the joint.
> 
> When I install laminite I never remove the baseboards.
> By doing that I have a solid surface to tap againt, the spacer does not keep trying to slide under the sheetrock.
> ...


These boards are swiftlock and seem to lock really easy, but glue would be good i think. So have you done 1" boards at the edge and it all works out okay?

sorry, I didn't see this response. This isn't new, but i did remove the baseboards. In my testing, I've just been sticking a thin ruler behind the board, but it's a pain, but since I have a ton of room under my sheetrock, I figured I don't need a big expansion gap. Maybe this is a bad idea, but I thought I could just keep measuring and fixing until I get a couple rows, then stick some heavy stuff on it.


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## shadytrake (Jul 8, 2012)

curiousburke said:


> Shadytrake, are you saying it would unlock from the other boards? That would be bad, but I could glue the first row to the second.
> 
> It would be nice to know why 2" is recommended, but I'm guessing the manufacturer wouldn't say.


Yes possibly. I had one small section behind my kitchen lowers where I had your situation and I didn't think ahead to rip like Joe suggested. The small pieces unlocked but it didn't matter because they are behind my base cabinets.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Just "sticking suff on it to weight it down" is just not going to happen.


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## shadytrake (Jul 8, 2012)

Joe and I don't agree on much but in this case I agree. You either need to rip first, glue at the end, or use a bigger base trim to cover the gap.

Good luck and post a picture when you are done.


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## curiousburke (Jun 5, 2011)

I think I'm going to rip the 1" boards and glue them on. All the other walls line up well if I do that. So here's a question ... 2:

1) how do people normally keep the first few rows lined up with the wall if they have a gap at the base it could push into? Once I get a few on, I can stand on it, which seemed to work with some test boards.

2) If I glue the 1" boards on, should I stagger them? If I do the whole row will be one unit. Only about 1/2" to 3/4" of this board will be showing. They could even be glued pre-install if I don't stagger.


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## shadytrake (Jul 8, 2012)

Mark,

I have to step aside and let a more experienced person answer but in my case the total gap even under the rock is the recommended gap so that there is no way it could gap too much, loosen, and unlock.

I measured from the absolute spot that stops the floor to get my gap especially if the floor can float "under" the rock.

I think a picture would help others to reply.


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## JetSwet (Jan 21, 2012)

First of all nothing should be glued In laminate. Your expanstion gap needs to be 1/4" all around. Strip a piece of pine or wood and use that for spacer. They do sell aio laminate kit with all you need to install. If your starting wall is good and plumb with no doors then work your way out and then at the end you will have to rip the last row to size.
Make shore your seams are staggered 12" apart.


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## curiousburke (Jun 5, 2011)

shadytrake said:


> Mark,
> 
> I have to step aside and let a more experienced person answer but in my case the total gap even under the rock is the recommended gap so that there is no way it could gap too much, loosen, and unlock.
> 
> ...


I thought 1/4" gap was a minimum, and more was no problem. Is this incorrect?


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## JetSwet (Jan 21, 2012)

You can't go wrong with 1/4" most lam company's require 1/4" for spacing.


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## shadytrake (Jul 8, 2012)

curiousburke said:


> I thought 1/4" gap was a minimum, and more was no problem. Is this incorrect?


Well the gap is there to allow movement due to temp changes and house movement. If you have a huge gap, then your floor could (theoretically) move a lot exposing that gap that you don't want (the one that cannot be covered by the standard baseboard). The baseboard is not there to hold it in place. That is why as the guys stated, putting your weight on it makes no sense. The baseboard is just trim.

Does that make sense?


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## curiousburke (Jun 5, 2011)

shadytrake said:


> Well the gap is there to allow movement due to temp changes and house movement. If you have a huge gap, then your floor could (theoretically) move a lot exposing that gap that you don't want (the one that cannot be covered by the standard baseboard). The baseboard is not there to hold it in place. That is why as the guys stated, putting your weight on it makes no sense. The baseboard is just trim.
> 
> Does that make sense?


If that's what Joe meant, then I wasn't clear what I was saying. I was just saying that during installation the first rows Slide so I can't push against them, but putting some weight (me) on top stops them from skidding while I get the next rows on.


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