Laminate Floor In Unheated Space

They will all be adversely affected by extreme conditions.

Laminate floor in unheated space.

Hi any thoughts and idea for flooring on cement in an unheated sunroom off the unheated garage. Laminate floors can be installed above crawl spaces but as with wood floors the crawl space must be covered with an appropriate vapor barrier and have proper ventilation. The whole geographic area will shrink in the winter cold and then expand back to origanal size in the spring. I have a problem with vinyl planks in an unheated space.

The whole floor will expand and contract as one single piece moving very little and only at the edges. I dont think it expands or contracts much its very dense in fact when cutting it it looked like plastic not very porous. It s also a cost effective solution easy to clean and durable. If these conditions aren t met laminate floors can cup from excessive moisture.

Laminate is also more stable than natural wood when it comes to changes in humidity. However it fades in bright consistent sunlight and so you should buy linoleum that is uv protected. I have the laminate wood looking floor in my cabin unheated winters this is the snap together stuff that floats on a thin foam pad. The vinyl will shrink in the cold but so will the cottage foundation and all.

However if your porch tends to be a moist damp area you should consider a different type of flooring because moisture can cause damage to laminate. Unlike wooden floors laminate is less likely to expand or contract which makes it a popular choice for an unheated space. Laminate isn t fastened to the subfloor so it can float on top. Therefore you can pick a high quality laminate floor and still get you a long lasting investment for years to come.

The exterior grade stuff usually contains chemicals preservatives that are considered illegal when used indoors. Like laminate linoleum is easy to install. Here in georgia the uv rays from the sun can be pretty. We have seen it go wrong many many times.

The laws of physics come into play here. Plus a laminate floor expands and contracts as a whole so unlike hardwood it doesn t leave gaps between planks or around nails. Poor quality vinyl improperly installed is like poor quality wood and poor quality ceramic poorly installed. As long as there is enough space for the natural reaction it should be fine.

The tongue and groove pieces glue together and float over the main floor which means that it is unaffected by humidity and temperature changes. Spending the weekend pulling up smelly glued down berber carpeting. And exterior grade sheathing can be an off gassing nightmare. A uv protected laminate will help to protect from this.