Expansion gap and acclimation time by material
Typical industry planning values. These are typical planning values — confirm against the manufacturer’s install instructions and your product’s spec sheet.
Wood and floating floors move with humidity, so they need a perimeter expansion gap at every wall (hidden by baseboard or quarter-round) and time to acclimate on site before install. The table below is labeled planning values — solid hardwood moves the most, laminate/LVP the least. Confirm against the manufacturer’s install instructions. Use it with the expansion-gap reference and the plank layout planner.
| Material | Typical expansion gap |
|---|---|
| Laminate / LVP (floating) | 0.250–0.375 in |
| Engineered wood | 0.500 in |
| Solid hardwood (nail-down) | 0.750 in |
Labeled planning values. Acclimation is typically 48–72 hours on site before install. The gap is hidden by baseboard or quarter-round — confirm against the manufacturer’s install instructions.