New Laminate Floor Installation Creaks....

c3uo · 12-05-2010, 09:43 AM

Hello,

I installed a new laminate floor in my basement where we had carpet. It's now been in for a week (3/4 done) and the creak when you walk across it drives my wife crazy.

- We set the boxes in the basement for a week prior to install.
- We removed the carpet, prepared the floor and checked for level.
- We layed landscape fabric on the concrete.
- We layed Certainteed Platon overtop the landscape fabric.
- We taped the platon seams with Tuck Tape.
- We installed the laminate directly over platon. The laminate has a built in 3 mm rubber underpad.
- We left 3/8" gap all around by placing boards against the wall.
- The laminate is a click laminate, 1/2" thick.

When you walk across the laminate, the joints creak. It was all installed as per manufacturer's recommendation. The creak is driving us nuts. It is not caused by trim (it's not installed) or gaps. It is movement in the click joint.

I am considering lifting all of the laminate and gluing the groove joint (which is not in the manufacturer's instructions - it is a glueless construction). The creak is definately in the joint and appears to be caused by the flexing in the laminate.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

c3uo · 12-05-2010, 09:55 AM

FYI - The Platon is just like DeltaFL (Delta FL) and the instructions clearly say you can install laminate directly over foam pad on it.

rusty baker · 12-05-2010, 10:07 AM

Sounds like it was installed over a floor that was not flat.

loneframer · 12-05-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rusty baker

Sounds like it was installed over a floor that was not flat.

That's my guess as well. If there is a low spot in the floor, excessive movement will occur in the laminate joints.

c3uo · 12-05-2010, 10:37 AM

The floor isn't too bad. I checked with a 4' level and saw no dips or valleys. However, the Platon has just enough flex when I walk on the narrow boards that it creaks at the joints. Would gluing the joints fix this? I really don't want to add an OSB sub floor at this point.

Floor Doc · 12-05-2010, 11:01 AM

Could be in the joinery itself . That stuff is all crap .
Do you have a brand name ?

c3uo · 12-05-2010, 11:11 AM

It seems to be in the joint.

It is Golden Select Brand. Sold at Costco and Sam's club with good reviews, but probably is medium quality (Despite being 1/2" thick).

http://jsonic.ca/flo_laminate.htm

I thought gluing the joints would fix the flex, but that seems to be "the point of no return...."

Floor Doc · 12-05-2010, 11:20 AM

Glue is not the answer . You need to check the floor for flatness with a 6' level , not a 4'
Need to be flat 1/8" in 6' or 3/16" in 10'
Put a couple of boards together on a flat surface and see if they are laying flat to begin with .

tpolk · 12-05-2010, 11:23 AM

to much/soft underlayment

KCB · 12-05-2010, 02:42 PM

Dont glue it .....
Get a wax stick and wipe the tongue with it , worth a try.Could be a combination of things .Ive noticed that if your laminate has more stiffness/rigid ,its not as noisy.The Certainteed Platon is good but ive never used it in floors of this type. Most that i have seen use it laid down 3/8 ply then laminate. I suspect to much give for the laminate causing excessive movement at the joints.Ive cured some pesky floors with a wax stick.Try removing the Certainteed Platon and see if it illiminates the problem , if so use a standard 6mm vapor with a good pad.

HokieOne · 01-06-2011, 11:19 AM

Many products that say they are suitable for laminate installations are not. Your underlayment (I'm not familiar with any of the products you named) may be too spongy, allowing the planks to flex too much. It may not be thick enough, thereby not compensating for the uneven subfloor as it should.

The best bet is always to use the brand recommended by the manufacturer. Many manufacturers consider the warranty invalid if you don't use their underlayment. Yes, I know that's a way for them to make more money. They have good reason for requiring this, however, as there are many cheap and improperly made products out there that can cause the final installation to be faulty.

Dave

jaycue7 · 06-02-2011, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c3uo

It seems to be in the joint.

It is Golden Select Brand. Sold at Costco and Sam's club with good reviews, but probably is medium quality (Despite being 1/2" thick).

http://jsonic.ca/flo_laminate.htm

I thought gluing the joints would fix the flex, but that seems to be "the point of no return...."

What did you end up doing with your floor?
I am thinking of doing the same PLATON + Laminate approach; i.e. no subfloor.
Did you stick with it? did it get better? do you recommend it? is the floor a little warmer?

Thanks,
Jeff

c3uo · 06-02-2011, 05:01 PM

Actually as the flooring settled a lot of the creaks went away. I think that with the Platon and laminate underpad there was too much wiggle which lead towards the creaking. It is much better now.

Ideally, a subfloor on the Platon would be better. However, it is "okay" with the laminate on top.

It is warmer then direct on the floor, but to be honest it's still laminate in a cold Canadian basement. Looks MUCH better then the carpet we had before and was reasonably priced though.

Regards,
J

jaycue7 · 07-12-2011, 01:43 PM

Thanks C3uo!

Can you email me directly at jaycue7 (at) gmail
I have some questions that I am hoping you can help me answer.

Thanks,
Jeff

Quote:

Originally Posted by c3uo

Actually as the flooring settled a lot of the creaks went away. I think that with the Platon and laminate underpad there was too much wiggle which lead towards the creaking. It is much better now.

Ideally, a subfloor on the Platon would be better. However, it is "okay" with the laminate on top.

It is warmer then direct on the floor, but to be honest it's still laminate in a cold Canadian basement. Looks MUCH better then the carpet we had before and was reasonably priced though.

Regards,
J