by Chuck
(Iowa)
In a 14' X 28' room I understand the floor needs room to expand and contract. If the furniture is large and heavy will that be a problem in the needed expansion and contraction?
Specifically there is a heavy 11' wide bookcase/ entertainment center at one end, a heavy china hutch on one side and a heavy server on the opposite side. This places very heavy objects on three of the four sides. I would hope this would not cause any distortion in the floor.
Hi Chuck
I have never seen a floor buckle because of furniture. I have seen the pressure caused from the floor expanding and pushing it really tight up against the wall. Most of the ones I saw expanded sideways across the short sides of the boards. I can't say for sure if the furniture would cause any problem.
The thickness of the laminate floor your installing can make a difference. Over the years the floors that I have seen that expanded were 7 or 8mm thick. Using a 10mm and up can cut down on expansion. You still need to make sure you leave a good gap around the room. Maybe between 1/4 and 3/8 of an inch just to be safe.
I always recommend putting felt on the bottom of furniture, in case of any problems.
Anthony Garrison