Why does the hardwood floor squeak?

Squeaky hardwood often becomes a real trouble. A loud squeak can wake up all the family, disgustingly “presses” the ears and is the reason of the falling of flooring planks out. You have to get rid of squeaking . Let’s consider the reasons why parquet may start to squeak, because prevention is the best way to treat it.

Hardwood laying is performed in violation of the technology

The most common reason why hardwood is squeaking. It is rather difficult to lay it and it is desirable to trust professionals with such work.

Hardwood boards are laid incorrectly

The boards should be fitted to each other without gaps. The laid floor should be cleaned on top with a hardwood grinder,  gaps should be floated.

The base plate under the hardwood was mantled incorrectly

Since the application of a base plate according to the standards is mandatory only for certain ways of floor screed laying, it can be completely forgotten or put in the wrong thickness.

Use of poor-quality binders

A bad (overdue or initially unusable) hardwood glue loses its adhesion over time. First floor planks squeak, and then start to fall out.

The flooring underlay plate was not fit well to the screed

The base plate is usually fiberboard sheets, which must be thoroughly fastened to rails. If the fastener loosens or was loosely fitted, the sheet begins to bend. Awry rails may also become a cause. A small imbalance – and one rail starts to “float”, loosening all the layers laid above it.

Shrinking of hardwood planks

Wood easily absorbs moisture and also easily loses it. Therefore, in order to preserve its shape it is dried, impregnated with water-proof and antifungal coatings, additionally 2-3 layers of varnish are applied on top, after the floor is laid. There are several reasons why planks may shrink.

Hardwood planks may be excessively overdried or, vice versa, underdried

Both options lead to the fact that grouting before the finishing works is not a solution, but on the contrary, it can become a cause, because of which the hardwood starts to squeak.

No vapor barrier is laid.

Careless guest workers, unfamiliar with all the nuances of laying, can save on the vapor barrier. Control works or work with a reliable foreman.

Violation of the temperature and humidity conditions of use

Remember that hardwood floor is very sensitive to external effects. Do not allow contact with large amounts of water, do not use a wet, but a damp cloth for cleaning. Do not place infrared heaters on the floor and do not freeze the room.

Wrong installation of the baseboards

The baseboard can be fixed to the floor and to the wall. Fixation to the wall is more aesthetic, but also more difficult. The reason for squeaking may be a baseboards, fixed without a small gap. If you can not determine why the hardwood is squeaking, check whether there is a gap under the baseboards. Hardwood floor is still “loose” for some time after laying, it does not settle down immediately. If you press the hardwood planks with the plinth firmly, then they will definitely squeak.