One advantage of a creaking floor is that it warns you of approaching bears.
Creaking, popping and snapping sounds can emanate from a hardwood floor that has been nailed to a wood sub-floor as well as one that has been glued to concrete. In either case, strategies for eliminating the noise exist, but they don't always work.
Nail-Down Floors
Squeaks and creaks in a nail-down floor usually come from the nails; a board pops loose and the nails rub against the subfloor when you walk on it. You can fix this by driving screws from underneath to anchor the loose boards. A more serious cause of creaking is wood movement, which can be a problem if you install the floor without acclimating it or without a moisture barrier. Spacing nails too closely can also create squeaks. These problems require partial or full replacement of the floor.Glue-Down Floors
When you glue a hardwood floor to concrete, the subfloor must be completely level. If there are voids, the boards can flex into them and make creaking sounds as they rub together. You may be able to stop creaking by injecting epoxy through a small hole in the board that's directly over a void. This doesn't work for large depressions, however, and when it doesn't work, you'll probably have to remove the squeaky boards, level the subfloor and lay new boards.Written by:
Chris Deziel
http://homeguides.sfgate.com
For further maintenance contact us about our wood floor services us on 01223 863632 or visit www.artofclean.co.uk.
