Technical guide · Pandaboard

SPC and LVT Click Flooring: Installation, Gaps and Storage

Direct answer

SPC and LVT click flooring is typically 4–6 mm thick in 1220×180 mm planks, joined by a click profile and laid floating with no adhesive. The substrate must be flat to 2 mm over 2 m with moisture of 2.5% or less (CM method) and covered by a vapor barrier lapped at least 200 mm. Leave 8–10 mm at every wall, column and door frame, hidden by the skirting. Let packs sit flat in the room 24 hours at 18–28 °C, or the joints load unevenly and open at the seams.

Interior click flooring (SPC, LVT, laminate) is laid floating: the floor is not bonded to the substrate, the planks are joined by the click profile into one continuous sheet, and a movement gap is left at every perimeter. Success depends almost entirely on two things — substrate flatness and the expansion gap.

The two most common mistakes① Laying on an unleveled substrate (click profiles break and the floor creaks within two months); ② no perimeter gap (the whole floor bulges in summer and cannot be pressed flat).

01Key specifications and suitability

Suitable

• Living rooms, bedrooms and studies

• Offices and retail floors

• Renovation over sound existing tile or timber

• Rooms with underfloor heating (surface ≤27 °C)

• Fast refits that must be walkable the same day

Not suitable

• Wet rooms, shower areas and laundries

• Unenclosed balconies and outdoor floors

• New concrete still above the moisture limit

• Factories and warehouses with forklift traffic

• Sunrooms with more than 15 °C day-night swing

02Preparation Before Installation

2.1 Substrate Requirements

Table 2-1 Substrate control values

2.2 Materials and Tools

Flooring, vapor barrier (≥0.2 mm), skirting, transition strips, tapping block, pull bar, tape measure, pencil, cutter / saw, spirit level.

Parts list and reference quantities：Per 100 m² of floor, floating installation; includes wastage. Allow 5–8 % in irregular rooms.

2.3 Delivery and Acclimatization

• Deliver the flooring flat; leave the sealed packs in the installation room for 24–48 h to reach room temperature;

• Never open the packs and stand planks against a wall (they bow);

• One batch number per space: mixed batches give color differences and click tolerance problems.

03Floating Installation Steps

Figure 1 Floor build-up Substrate → vapor barrier → flooring; 8~10 expansion gap at all walls, hidden by the skirting.

1. Clean and level - Remove dust and scrape off ridges; fill depressions with self-leveling compound or repair mortar, flatness ≤2 mm/2 m.

2. Lay the vapor barrier - Cover the full area with ≥0.2 mm barrier, lap ≥100, seal seams with tape, turn up 50 at the walls.

3. Set the laying direction - Along the main light source or the walking direction; the long edge parallel to the long wall.

4. Mark the datum line - Leave 8–10 at the wall and mark the first row line.

5. Lay the first row - Tongue toward the wall, hold the 8–10 gap with spacers; align the end joint and press down.

6. Work row by row - Stagger the second row ≥300; insert the plank at 20°–30° and press down until it clicks.

7. Last row - Measure and cut, width ≥50; pull the joint closed with a pull bar.

8. Perimeter - Cover perimeter gaps with the skirting; fit a transition strip at doorways; cut 10 clearance around pipes and fit a collar.

9. Cleaning and curing - No traffic and no water for 24 h; normal use after 48 h.

Three locations for expansion gaps① All walls: 8–10, continuous; ② Doorways and thresholds: break the floor and fit a transition strip; ③ Large areas: a transition joint where a run exceeds 12 m (or width >8 m). Miss one and the floor will bulge in summer.

04Special Locations

• Underfloor heating: heat up gradually (5 °C per day), surface temperature ≤27 °C; use the underfloor-heating type and a suitable vapor barrier;

• Kitchen and bathroom: only the waterproof type, and waterproofing must be applied to the substrate first;

• Heavy loads: widen furniture feet with pads (≥50 mm); place a clear mat under wheeled chairs;

• Thresholds: use a T-profile transition strip between different materials, 5 gap;

• Floor boxes and pipe penetrations: cut before laying, 10 clearance around the hole, fit a collar.

05Quality Acceptance

Table 5-1 Acceptance requirements

06Common Problems

Table 6-1 Defects

07Product Storage and Handling

Figure 2 Stacking Keep the original packaging, store flat and indoors; never stand planks against a wall (they bow and will not close after installation).

Table 7-1 Storage conditions

Recommended stock life ≤12 months; opened part-packs must be stored flat with the ends aligned, never upright.

08Transport and Safety

• Load flat in the original packaging, stack ≤1.2 m, strap down;

• Avoid sun and rain; after transport in winter, acclimatize indoors for 48 h before opening;

• Two people lift by the edges; never drag;

• Wear goggles and a mask when cutting;

• Ventilate during installation; note the solvent odor with adhesive types.

09Appendix: Checklist

9.1 Goods-in Inspection

• □Size, thickness, batch number and color code match

• □Click profile complete, no missing teeth, no chipped edges

• □Planks flat, no scratches

• □Packaging intact and dry

• □One batch number per space

9.2 Before Installation

• □Substrate flatness ≤2 mm/2 m

• □Substrate moisture content within limits

• □Vapor barrier, skirting and transition strips on site

• □Flooring acclimatized for at least 24 h

• □Windows and doors fitted; no wet trades running

10Frequently asked questions

Can I install it over existing tile?

Yes, if the tile is well bonded with no hollow spots, flat to 2 mm over 2 m and joints within 1 mm. Grind high points, fill grout lines, then lay the barrier. The floor rises 4–6 mm, so check door clearance and skirting depth.

Do I need an extra underlay?

On concrete the vapor barrier is enough. For a softer feel add 1–2 mm IXPE, but the softer the pad the more load concentrates on the click and the sooner seams open. Recalculate door gaps if you add one.

How long should the flooring acclimate?

Twenty-four hours flat in the room, or 48 hours with large day-night swings. Do not stack against external walls, radiators or in direct sun, or one side warms first and the floor arches toward it.

Can it be used in a kitchen or bathroom?

A waterproof core is not a waterproof joint. It works in dry and semi-dry areas with a sealed threshold, but standing water passes through the click into the substrate. Avoid shower rooms and laundries.

Floating or glue-down — which is better?

Floating is standard for homes and offices: fast and repairable plank by plank. Above 100 m², with runs over 12 m, under heavy traffic or fast heating, add movement breaks or use full-spread adhesive.

Why do the joints open after a few months?

Usually gaps packed with mortar or left-over spacers, a pad that is too soft, an uneven substrate, or no acclimation. An unclicked joint cannot be pressed back — lift that row, refit it and clear the wall gap.

About Pandaboard

Guangzhou Panda Commercial Development Co., Ltd. · Pandaboard / PEIDA

We manufacture and export gypsum board, mineral fiber and fiberglass ceiling tiles, calcium silicate and magnesium oxide boards, fiber cement board, aluminum ceilings, WPC and SPC wall panels, exterior decking, fencing and handrails, together with the matching grid and framing systems. The methods on this page are compiled from product behaviour and standard trade practice; for any project, follow the approved drawings, local codes and the specification confirmed on your order.

Website: www.pandamanufacturer.com Contact sales: contactus

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Guangzhou Panda Commercial Development Co., Ltd. · Pandaboard / PEIDA
This guide is technical information for specifiers and installers; it does not replace project drawings or local codes.