Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Laminate expansion

I'm wondering if laminate floors expands right after installation. I installed Pergo about 2 months ago. I have not installed any baseboard. I noticed today that in some parts the gap from the wall are now less than 1/4 inch. Should i undercut the wall. I'm sure i had 1/4 inch space when i installed them. Any help

Did you bring it right from the store and start installing it the next day?


Sounds like it wasn't acclimated long enough to your interior climate.

It is gaining moisture content. Are you keeping constant humidity and temperature levels inside your home?

Your going to need to pull the planks and cut them, because your going to need to remove them if you plan on undercutting everything.

Had the boxes sitting inside the house for a couple weeks before i installed them. I live in the bay area and we have not had very cold days or very hot days since i installed them. My heater is set between 70 to 75 degrees. Can i use a crain undercut saw so i do not have to remove the planks ?

I had a laminate job a few years ago that shifted on me because I pulled out the spacers too soon. Look on the opposite wall and check the expansion gap there.
The floor can be moved back if you are very careful. I use adjustable metal spacers like you find in Pergo installation strap kits. Or you can use a 3' or 4' Gorilla bar and carefully try to shift it back.
I see no need to pull any boards if you wish to undercut the room. Look at a Crain 820c undercut saw. This will undercut walls, inside corners and cabinet toe-kicks. There is a Crain Toe-kick saw you could use to cut back the flooring itself but I don't recommend trying that because they are dangerous, you would need the smaller diameter blade so you don't cut into the subfloor, and you risk chipping the laminate. Too risky.

Jerry Once you undercut the base, the piece of base you cut off, is still locked in, is it not? (unless his base is up off the subfloor, now)


He could use his under cut saw in the same way and cut the laminate, except under toekicks.

Perry, I knew you were going to catch that :wall:. I realized it too about an hour later. Thank you for correcting my mistake :D .

Onie, hopefully the floor shifted and you can unload the room and shift it back. If not listen to Perry, I'm too dangerous :alarm: .

I bought the crain 812 saw since i can't find a place that rents them. I did not pull the planks but it was difficult to pull out the cut pieces of the wall that was all the way to the subfloor. Had to break them by little pieces. Since i already have a crain saw. How deep would you undercut the fireplace brick ? I went ahead and did it today and the depth is about 1/2 inch. I'm not sure if that's deep enough for expansion room. Does laminate expands over an inch ?Thanks for the advice

I like 5/16 to 3/8 and more if it is a huge room.

If you get swelling it can eat expansion gaps.

1/32" in 32 planks width wise is 1 inch.

It is the core that does the shrinking and swelling. The wear layer hardly moves, if any at all.

Thanks Perry

Crain Saw is for sale when i'm done with the fireplace