The key to avoiding wood floor gaps and distortion even in the most extreme climates is to properly acclimate the flooring prior to installation.
Bamboo flooring expansion gap in tropical climate.
Because bamboo is a natural product it will expand as it absorbs humidity and shrink as the air grows drier.
As long as you acclimate the flooring for 14 days you ll rarely experience any issues with bamboo flooring in a humid climate.
If you do not have an expansion gap your bamboo floor could start to crack and lift up.
It is an essential part of flooring installation that allows for the natural movements in the bamboo.
These climates are actually very suitable for bamboo flooring because they have relatively stable humidity year round even if it is higher than normal.
Samantha has flooring tips for every product and every installation.
What is an expansion gap.
An expansion gap is a space that is left around the perimeter of a room when laying wooden or bamboo flooring.
As bamboo is a natural product it will absorb any humidity in the air and start to expand.
However if you live in an area where the humidity varies more than 15 throughout the year and you experience seasons you re much more likely to experience expansion and contraction in your wood and bamboo flooring this is normal and the effect is increased exponentially in solid floating wood bamboo flooring.
Tropical or humid climate.
One crucial step is to remember to leave an expansion gap space of at least one half inch around the perimeter of the floor.
Finally once the floor has been fitted you will cover gaps with bamboo flooring accessories.