Herringbone laminate job showing edge lift after just two weeks

I tried a herringbone pattern with laminate in my living room for a creative touch. After two weeks, the EDGES are lifting BADLY because I skimped on expansion gaps. How do you guys handle expansion in complex patterns like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant9011mo ago

Oof, herringbone is brutal for expansion gaps. You gotta leave bigger gaps on all sides, not just the straight runs. Trust me, it's worth the extra time to avoid this mess.

the_richard1mo ago

Ugh, learned that the hard way with my own floor.

barbara_kim14d agoTop Commenter

Saw a video where a guy did a full herringbone floor. He used spacers on every single piece at the wall, not just the first row. Had to cut them super small for the points. @the_richard is right, you learn fast with this pattern. The gaps get hidden under the baseboard anyway, so better to go bigger. That tight fit looks good for a week then it just buckles.