Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is a stylish flooring option that looks right at home in both commercial and residential spaces. It’s also a convenient choice since it’s easy to install and maintain. However, when you’re working with tiles and planks, you need to be aware of the risk of gaps developing between the end joints.
How can you prevent end-joint gapping while installing LVT? Landmark Interiors explores some solutions in this blog.
What Causes End-Joint Gaps?
While expansion gaps are necessary to keep floors in good condition, end-joint gaps can be an eyesore, especially with flooring as streamlined and stylish as LVT. Just like hardwood floors, vinyl tiles can expand and contract. If there is any room between the boards, they can drift apart and create gaps.
Pushing the planks back together is one option, but then you run the risk of them buckling against each other. The best way to deal with end-joint gaps is to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
How to Prevent End-Joint Gaps
Preventing problems with LVT floors can depend on the installation method. Floating planks and glue-down LVT have opposite installation methods, and accordingly, there are different ways to prevent end-joint gapping.
Both methods involve leaving an expansion gap between the flooring and the walls and using appropriate transitions if the LVT is laid next to another type of flooring.
Glue-Down LVT
Take our Ascension Traverse collection, for example. It is designed to be glued down, which means you’ll need to check a few things before beginning. First, for both safety and construction purposes, ensure the subfloor meets the requirements set by the LVT manufacturer.
Then, be certain that you’re using the right adhesive as recommended by the manufacturer. Finally, position the tiles flush on all four sides to prevent gaps from developing.
Floating Planks
LVT planks, like our Hilltop Unlimited collection that float above the subfloor, offer many benefits. They’re easy to replace and can be installed quickly, but they are slightly more at risk of gapping since there’s nothing adhering them to the subfloor.
Nevertheless, you can lay them out in a way that minimizes the chance of gaps forming between the end-joints. To keep them together and prevent movement, floating planks should be properly locked on all four sides. This will ensure that if expansion occurs, the flooring will stay intact.
Learn More About Preventing End-Joint Gapping
With decades of experience in flooring and a range of LVT collections, Landmark Interiors can help you prevent end-joint gapping on your next project. Contact us if you have any questions about the process or recommendations for a specific collection.