Showerthought: My neighbor's wild theory about laminate expansion gaps

I was putting down laminate flooring at a job last month, and my neighbor from down the block walked in. He started saying I didn't need to leave expansion gaps because he read online that they're pointless. I mean, idk what site he was on, but he was dead set on it. He even pulled out this tiny ruler from his pocket to show me how to measure, which was just for kids' crafts. We got into this back-and-forth right in the middle of the room, with the client just staring at us. Maybe it's just me, but having someone argue about gaps with a toy ruler was pretty absurd. It all ended when he tripped over a plank and finally let me get back to work.

4 comments

4 Comments

anna_ellis882mo ago

Honestly some people just refuse to listen. My buddy tried to use pennies as spacers because he said quarters were too thick. His floor made this awful creaking noise and now he has to redo the whole hallway.

milarodriguez2mo ago

Your neighbor pulling out a toy ruler is hilarious. I once had a guy argue about floor spacing using a butter knife as a guide. People like that never learn until they faceplant over the planks.

murray.jana2mo ago

Oh man, my friend's cousin tried to skip the gaps because he said his apartment never changes temperature. He used a bent coat hanger to try and keep the planks tight together. The whole floor buckled like two months later. His landlord made him pay to redo everything. He definitely learned his lesson the hard way.

mary_west2mo ago

That toy ruler bit is just perfect. Like, did he think the laminate would be too scared to expand if he measured it with a kid's ruler? It's wild how some people will argue with a pro using tools from a cereal box. You almost have to admire the confidence, right up until they trip over the proof it doesn't work.