All engineered boards expand and contract: wood-based boards mainly shrink and swell with humidity, while plastic-based boards mainly respond to temperature.
Two things determine whether problems appear:
- Substrate dimensional stability;
- Proper installation — leave an expansion gap of about 3 mm and use clip systems to absorb stress.
Quality products rarely crack; deformation is usually installation-related; tight-seam (flush-joint) products demand higher-grade substrates, otherwise gaps may widen over time.
Overall, engineered boards are far more stable than natural timber but still expand somewhat — low-quality products deform more easily, so choose carefully when buying.