Quote:
Originally Posted by look 171
3/8" to 1/2" gap for traditional floors.
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Thanks for the correction, I was probably thinking of the thin engineered flooring.
Materials expand differently. Natural wood swells more across the grain than lengthwise. That expensive underlayment with a gap helps bubbles and pops in the tight, noticeable places. It's worth it to tape the seams well and pay a little more for something that let's the wood slide.
As a caveate, a moisture barrier is only a bandaid and may make the material below(subflooring/joists) mold and rot.
Moisture control is important as well:
-Too little moisture during the winter (for us northerners), and huge shrinkage/gaps appear.
-Too little moisture, and the gaps can clash, buckle and pop up in waves across the surface.