Q: We had wood flooring installed in several rooms in late May – early June 2007. The carpet and tile were removed and the surfaces prepared by the installer, glue applied and the planks installed. After a few months and now more time, we experience popping noises throughout the house as if the glue under the plank is loose.
Can the floor be repaired without removing all the planks? Does glue need to be reapplied? What is the suggested solution with minimal disruption to the existing flooring?
A: Your floor is likely reacting to climate changes in the home. These popping sounds are aggravated when the milling of the tongue and groove joints is very tight. Once it has gone through a couple of seasonal cycles it should settle down. Try to keep the relative humidity in the home to near 40% in winter to minimize shrinkage. Buy a hygrometer and/or humidifier which will have a digital readout of room temperature and RH.
Related Questions
Popping and footstep noisesQ: My house makes noises. It's coming from the upstairs area between the kitchen and the first room. The entire upstairs is wood floors. It makes 2 distinct noises, a stomp and a pop. Is it possible the noise is coming from the wooden floor? Because sometimes after the stomp…
Popping and clicking noisesOur problem is that when walking on the 2nd floor there is a loud popping or clicking (not really a creaking) which is audible on the main floor. While walking on it upstairs it is not very noticeable, but very noticeable downstairs.
Floor over a crawlspace is poppingQ: We had our house built about 7 years ago. There are certain areas in the house where, when you walk across the floor, it pops very badly. This is under carpet and has a crawlspace. How do I fix this? A: Probably by ventilating the crawl space and having…
-
Boards are hollow, not glued down properlyQ: I built a new home last July. We have had ongoing problems with our engineered hardwood floor. Two certified inspectors state that the floor was installed improperly. 3100 sq. ft. Every single room has boards that are hollow, not glued down properly. Will these eventually pop since they aren't…
Glued down floor is popping and creakingQ: Doing a remodel about 18 months ago, we installed bamboo flooring over concrete. Going with the advice of our contractor, we painted the floor with Kilz Primer then glued the bamboo directly to the concrete. We placed weight on the floor and let it dry overnight. Now it is…