I installed some LVP flooring in my kitchen about 6 months ago and lately I've noticed small gaps appearing between some of the planks, especially near the doorway where there's temperature changes. Is this normal settling or did I mess up the installation? Should I be worried about water getting underneath?
LVP is actually pretty stable stuff, so gaps opening up after 6 months suggests something shifted during installation rather than normal settling. Near doorways where temperature swings are worst, inadequate acclimation before laying it down or not leaving enough expansion space along the walls could cause this - LVP does move slightly with heat and humidity, and if you didn't give it room to breathe, planks will gap as conditions change.
Water getting underneath is the real concern here. Those gaps are basically highways for spills to seep down, and LVP isn't waterproof (just water-resistant on the surface). The good news is you can pull up the affected planks and re-lay them with proper spacing - usually you want like a quarter-inch or so gap around the perimeter so the floor has room to expand. If the gaps are really small, you could try LVP-specific filler products, but honestly if water's your worry, re-doing those problem sections right is the safer move.
Log into answer.
