Transition Moldings

[Pilgrim]

Hi guys, a quick rookie question for the Pros: I am putting in a laminate floor that has two rooms, both 13' deep. The first room is a little over 35'with a little over 3' being the landing of a stair. So the main body of that room is 32', this is the length that is 13' deep. The box says transition every 30' and researching it (if you can call it that) I am convinced I need a transition. I have already purchased the transition. I am ready to put said transition in today.

Then an installer makes the statement "Rule of thumb is 200-600 square feet."

So before I put the transition molding in today, I was hoping to get a view from some of you that do this day to day and have seen the aftermath (or lack thereof) of exceeding 30'.

Is going on square footage a legitimate way to decide? It would be nice to just put a transition molding to either side of the stair and do 32' x 13', but the bottom line is I want to do it right and don't want to install a future problem for the next owner. I don't mind the extra time to put it in but having it in the center of the room isn't going to look that great in my opinion.

What advice do you have for me?

Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to give.

 

[Pilgrim]

I was reading another thread where someone asked a similar question and it was implied that exceeding the 30' rule of thumb could be done (again, this was the implication, not a direct statement to do it) if the spacing was 3/4".

Is that right? If the floor is 32' by 13', can I widen my gap at the end of the long run and it be okay?

 

[Tile Tom]

I wouldn't be using a transition if I was doing it.
Leave a little extra space around the parameter and go for it.

 

[highup]

I was reading another thread where someone asked a similar question and it was implied that exceeding the 30' rule of thumb could be done (again, this was the implication, not a direct statement to do it) if the spacing was 3/4".

Is that right? If the floor is 32' by 13', can I widen my gap at the end of the long run and it be okay?

You said a laminate, not an LVP.
Since you said the laminate ask yourself something. Can you imagine formica growing 3/4 of an inch in 30 ft? I figure if they're maximum is 30 ft then it's okay at 3 ft with whatever expansion Gap they recommend. Two or three feet more shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't put in a t molding.