Floating floor around steel door frames

[Sawpoint]

I am considering laying silkwood floor in my daughters unit. (Perth)
Laying floor is no problem, I have done it once before, however she has steel door frames and I am not keen to cut around the base to allow for the gap. I need to go through the door from lounge dining area to passage way. Also laying floors in passage which has access to bathroom with tiles and bedrooms with carpet. Need to go halfway into these doors.
Is there another way. How important is the gap? I have seen some US web comments that it is not necessary.
Hope you can help with ideas.
Cheers
Sawpoint

[bitingmidge]

Sawpoint,

Allowing for movement is pretty important! The brand I used needed all the gap it could get in a Brisbane summer!

Under the doors, at the tile or carpet join, use a standard carpet joining strip; and aluminium mould fixed to the floor with a PVC flap inserted.

Round the doors, I made a template and routed a ten mm gap (before fitting the board) then masked it, and filled it with silicone which almost matched the skirting colour.

It looked OK, and of course the test is whether anyone else sees it, and no one ever does.

I'd like to know how the fair dinkum installers do it!

Cheers,

P

[macca2]

The guy that installed our floor cut the bottoms of the steel door frames with and angle grinder and the boards went under the frames.
I don't know if he used a special grinder but it was able to cut very close to the floor, leaving min gap between the bottom of the frame and the floor.

Macca

[pawnhead]

The guy that installed our floor cut the bottoms of the steel door frames with and angle grinder and the boards went under the frames.

[123]

Also, with the Silkwood product, if it is not installed correctly (expansion gaps) you will void all warranties! good luck