Squeaks and creaks

MisterSteve

I'm reinstalling all of the baseboards and shoe moulding after installing bamboo flooring and the floor is very creaky when you step near the baseboards now. It did not make this noise until I put the baseboards back. Will it eventually "settle" or do I need to allow for a gap?

joecaption

Ok what style flooring was it and how was it installed.

MisterSteve

5/8 T&G nailed with 16Ga. cleats with 3/4" expansion at all edges. Installed to a T according to manufacturers instructions.

joecaption

Does the floor make any noise or move when you step on the outside edges without the 1/4 round?
In order to make noise something has to be flexing.
I think I'd try predrilling and adding some big finish nails close enough to the end that the 1/4 round would cover them up.

MisterSteve

Just the baseboards are on in one area and baseboards with shoe moulding in another area and both make noise. Even where the baseboards run the length of the flooring where it is face nailed with 10d nails every 8" it still creaks so I don't think adding screws or nails would help all that much. I did however repaint all of the baseboards and shoe while they were off and maybe they're still slightly tacky??? That was two days ago though...

joecaption

Really old house?
Laid over a partical board subfloor?
I doubt it's the paint, more likly wood on wood.
Did you lay kraft paper or roofing felt under the flooring?

MisterSteve

House was built in 2007. Sub-floor is 3/4" Advantech.

MisterSteve

#15 Felt paper underneath.

dengle

My house is doing the same thing and seems to get worse in the winter/dry season. The culprit may be the bottom board(plate?) of the walls moving differently than the subfloor causing the popping/creaking. The fix? take off the baseboards, drive 4" screws/lags diagonally down to securely fasten the bottom plate of the wall to the subfloor. About 1 every 8 to 16" depending on how bad the popping/creaking and how wide-spread.

If it's the first floor and you have an unfinished basement, you could alternately place screws from underneath. You should see the 8d/10d-ish nails sticking down where the wall is located to give you an idea of it's placement. The last thing you want to do is screw up through your new floor!

DannyT

with wood flooring i think you are always going to get some noise. you have to remember that only one side of each board is actually nailed to the subfloor. the other edge floats on the tongue of the previous piece. you say you left a 3/4 inch gap for expansion. where did the base get installed? was it installed beside the flooring or above it?

MisterSteve

The expansion gap was left between the wall plates and edge of flooring. Sheetrock was up off the sub-floor about 1 1/2". Baseboards and shoe went over the flooring.

dengle

Listen carefully to where the creak/pop is coming from. Is it coming from the actual flooring or the wall? If the wall, then it's probably what I suggested. The fact that it seems to be happening only when walking near the wall(s) lends me to thinking that's the culprit.

MisterSteve

The sound is definitley coming from the floor. I think its the floor and baseboards rubbing. I never heard anything when the subfloor was bare or when the flooring was finished without the base. The noise came about when I put the baseboards and shoe molding back on. When I reinstalled them, I pushed them flat against the floor for a tight finish. So, once I noticed the noise I thought I may have made a mistake by not allowing for a small gap between the bottom of the base/shoe molding and top of the flooring. Like place a thin piece of cardboard between the two before nailing and then remove the cardboard. I don't know, I just wasn't sure if this was a common mistake I made. I guess not....