New wood floor and the installer left 1/4 inch between wall and wood.
by
Karen Havle
+19
This was done by the refrigerator and two other places and he said it was normal and the wood would expand so we shouldn't fill it in. I think it looks hacked. Now he says he can put caulking in the the space but I do know that would be worse because it would pull away from the wall.
16 answers
-
If this is laminate flooring or a floating floor, there needs to be a gap all around for the floor to expand. The gap is covered by quarter round molding tacked into the wall so the flooring can move. Have the installer come back and install the molding. It should have been part of the job.
William
on Sep 27, 2016
-
William is correct if your floor is laminate
Jean Myles
on Sep 27, 2016
-
As the pp's said, you need molding to cover the gap. You can use quarter round or baseboard on its' own.
Julies1949
on Sep 27, 2016
-
1/4 inch gap is correct allows for expansion
J747725427
on Sep 28, 2016
-
If the white line you are showing is under the wood, stain it to match wood to help it blend in
Jkn3889743
on Sep 28, 2016
-
1/4 inch gap is correct allows for expansion just purchase a 1/4round or 1/2 round molding wat ever you think looks better. If they did not leave the 1/4" gap good chance your floor will buckle up for sure!
Ed Jewsbury
on Sep 28, 2016
-
I am going to stain the cement under the floor so it not show. WONDERFUL SO HELPFULL
Karen Havle
on Sep 28, 2016
-
It could bow if it doesn't have room to expand. Use a quarter round of a toe kick so it doesn't show.
Re
on Sep 28, 2016
-
Attatch the quarter round to the wall, not the floor. The floor needs to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. 1/4 inch gap on the edge is correct. Get your flooring guy to come back and do the quarter round for you. It should have been done by him in the first place.
Kathy Ireland
on Sep 28, 2016
-
you could talk to other experts in his field and if he is a member of a higher society e.g. in New Zealand we have a Master Builders Group you seek advice from them.
Bernadette Staal
on Sep 28, 2016
-
Rounds are OK but if you go to a dollhouse store or the internet you can find wood that is flat, not round. It literally comes up to 1/32th of an inch thick and every size in between. If all else fails stuff sculpt in there.
Donna Lavdis
on Sep 28, 2016
-
We have put in flooring more than once and it always says to leave that gap in the directions, so your flooring guy was correct. If you decide to cover with quarter round, just be sure that you don't get one so big that the frig won't slide in!
Susan
on Sep 28, 2016
-
Do not caulk the gap !!! Hard wood expands and contract so the gap is there for that reason. Install baseboard or quarter round to cover gap. Nail into the Wall not the floor. The gap should only be around the perimeter of the room, no where else. Good Luck 😄
Lori
on Sep 28, 2016
-
Quarter round molding,© that's what it is for.
Susan Bowers
on Sep 29, 2016
-
I was not home when the contractor came back and it was suggested so I will make sure to say NO CAULK! lol
Karen Havle
on Sep 30, 2016
-
They won't fix the problem since they already have your money. They use cheap labor and don't really care if the job is done right. I had the same problem. Some slats didn't meet the wall so they caulked the edges. Caulk will eventually dry and shrink and you're left with a gap. Even the quarter round did not cover the space. Just a bad job.
Jane R.
on Sep 30, 2016
Sign Up to Answer
Related Discussions
Suggested Project Book
