Ray Thompson Article in FCI

[CC Solutions]

I'm not a flooring installer but it is my understanding that rubber will expand and vinyls shrink. Vinyls shrink as they lose their plasticizers if I remember correctly.

The glue right at the edge will hold most vinyls in place, but a loose piece of vinyl (or one that isn't acclimated before installation) can really shrink. A good welded seam may hold it together a while, and a chemical seam is even stronger, but without good gluing procedures vinyl seams can be troublesome.

The gapping or grooving of the seam before welding is to insure a deeper weld I think. Again, I'm not an installer.