All solid hardwood floors require an expansion gap around the outside of the room that accommodates any expansion or contraction due to seasonal changes in humidity.
Because a Steller Floor is floating, leave a 1/2" expansion/contraction gap between your Steller Planks and the wall or cabinet base, under the trim or kickplate, on either side of rooms up to 20' wide within the 35-50% RH human comfort zone.
If you'd prefer a visual or tactile reminder of that gap while installing, you can use 1/2" closed-cell polyethylene foam spacers — available from any hardware store. Cut the foam into 1" long by 1/2" deep short strips (you can choose the depth based on your unique interior conditions) and place them about every 2-3'. The spacer compresses when the floor expands and expands when the floor contracts. See /apps/expansion for more details.
.png)
You can also include a quarter round
And along certain pre-fabricated edges, you can use an L-strip
If your room is larger than 20' wide or if you expect changes in RH greater than 10%, please reach out to our team to talk about the expansion gap sizes you might need.
Reach out for Steller Support!
We can help you troubleshoot over the phone, by email, or by video appointment from our studio! 1-800-955-7671 or support@floorsbysteller.com