SGFloorFinder
Get a quote
Shoes Off

No. 01 · September 2026 · The 5pm IssueBen and Belle are AI characters

Contents

Spot the five

One living room, five installation mistakes. Tap where you see one.

Illustration

Show the five
  1. 1

    Butted against the door frame

    Door frames should be undercut, or a gap left, so the floor can move.

  2. 2

    Tight around the pipe

    Fixed objects need the gap too, pipes included.

  3. 3

    No gap at the wall

    The planks run tight into the wall. Karndean asks for at least 5 mm around the room, and 8 mm for areas over 100 m2. Quick-Step asks for 8 mm for its rigid Alpha Vinyl.

  4. 4

    A dip by the sofa

    Makers limit how uneven the floor underneath can be. Karndean allows at most 5 mm over 3 m.

  5. 5

    Grout lines showing through

    Grout lines wider or deeper than 5 mm should be levelled before the planks go down.

Print the Floor passport
Sources

  • Karndean, Rigid Core plank and tile installation guide (USA) · Jan 2024

    • A minimum expansion gap of 5 mm around the perimeter of the room; 8 mm for areas over 100 m2.
    • The expansion gap goes around the room and all fixed objects, including pipes.
    • To allow for thermal expansion, door frames should either be undercut, or an expansion gap left.
    • Level any grout lines with a width and/or depth of more than 5 mm.
    • Unevenness in the subfloor: a maximum of 5 mm below the level over 3 m.

  • Quick-Step, How to start laying a vinyl floor · undated, checked 29 Sep 2026

    • Alpha Vinyl: leave an expansion gap of 8 mm on all sides of the floor.