Wood Floor Expansion Joint. Helps to inhibit the growth of weeds. The term expansion gap when used in conjunction with wood flooring refers to the space left around the edges of a room when a floor is fitted.
Since its nailed down your expansion joints are in each row where the groove meets the adjacent tongue. Know that wider boards expand and contract more than narrower ones. But this movement does not define life.
The expansion gap should be around the whole perimeter of the room wherever the flooring may be against fixed objects such as walls doorways radiator pipes and fireplaces.
If the wood expansion joint has totally rotted leaving a gap it can create a trippingfalling hazard. For smaller areas such as 10 x 12 rooms leaving 38 expansion would be satisfactory. Helps to block water from getting below the concrete causing erosion. US Canada English United Kingdom English.
