Instructions for my Bruce click-lock floating floor (no glue, on slab) say for first course to lay the groove facing the starting wall. Doesn't that mean for the rest of the courses you'll be tapping on the tongues to snug-up, and if so that seems the opposite to what you'd want. Seems like you'd want to be tapping on the flat side of the board not on the tongues to avoid damage to the tongue (I have a tapping block though). Just wondered why the grooves face the wall.

And Bruce also recommends allowing 1/2 inch at walls for expansion. Is this critical and do you REALLY need a full 1/2 inch for a small (10 x 10) room ? My quarter round is only 5/8 wide, so that means I only have a slim 1/8 left to overlap the floor boards.

Rookie Bob

doesnt matter which faces toward the wall with a floater. Which ever way it goes together easier which will mean less chance for damage is best. leave as much expansion without leaving a visable gap that the shoe wont cover done.

The manufacturer is always going to recommend the greatest gap possible to prevent a floor buckling under extreme condidtions.

You could do 3/8" and that's still a pretty decent expansion space. A larger gap is usually required for solid flooring and engineered requires less because of multi-plies.