Whether it’s the creak of an old wooden floor or the grating sound of a poorly installed laminate, such unwelcome noises have an uncanny knack for subtly disrupting our peace and quiet. Here, an expert shares some top tips on how to fix the age-old problem
With warmer temperatures come squeakier floors.
Whether it’s the creak of an old wooden floor or the grating sound of a poorly installed laminate, such noises have an uncanny knack for subtly disrupting our peace and quiet. Some may view the sounds as a quirky part of a home’s character, but for others they’re an ongoing battle against elusive silence.
Paul Hambidge, managing director at Factory Direct Flooring, says the nicer weather can make our floors noiser, and what can start as a mild annoyance can quickly escalate into a source of intense aggravation for many. He says floating floors will begin to creak if they move up and down, which is either caused by expansion brought on by excessive heat or by an uneven subfloor.
He says: “You’ll most likely notice more creaking if you have wood floors, Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) or laminate, especially if the heat source is direct and constant. Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) floors are more resilient to the heat, but not completely immune, especially during long exposure to sunlight.”
Here he shares some top tips to bring some much-needed silence back to your home …
How can you prevent floors from creaking?
“Most of the work needed to prevent squeaky floors comes during installation,” explains Paul. “There are four key factors here. The first is ensuring you have an even subfloor. Next, you must allow your flooring 48 hours to acclimatise to the environment you’re installing it in before work begins. Then, installing a suitable underlay between your subfloor and flooring can prevent friction and rubbing between them. And finally, make sure you leave a suitable expansion gap all around the room’s edge; never install a floor right up to the wall.”
He adds: “Fixing squeaky floors without ripping them up and starting again is a bit trickier, but not impossible. The solution depends on the type of flooring you have. For example, if you have solid wood floors, these are usually either glued or nailed down to the subfloor (rather than floating), which can become loose over time. As this happens, gaps form between the floorboards and subfloor, which causes the squeak. If this is happening, first check all around the perimeter to make sure there are sufficient expansion gaps. Next, carefully remove old loose nails and use correctly sized screws directly through your real wood planks to secure it to the subfloor. Then fill with appropriately coloured wood filler once complete.”
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“If you have creaky laminate floors, a temporary fix could be lubricating the joints. It’s not a ‘once and done’ fix, but applying some talcum powder between the joints can prevent them from rubbing together, which causes the creaking sound.”
It’s not just squeaks and creaks that heat can cause in floors
If your floor is in direct sunlight (even through a window), prolonged exposure may cause discolouration or bleaching on your floor’s surface. To prevent this type of heat damage, Paul recommends UV glass windows and installing blinds with UV protection, especially in south-facing properties.
Paul adds: “If your floor has already been affected by heat damage, most floating floors like laminate and LVT are installed with a ‘click system’, so panels can be removed and replaced. When you’re buying a new floor, this is one reason why it’s advisable to add 10% more than you think you need. Not only does this act as a backup for any wastage during installation, but it means you have some spare in case you need to replace a section in the future.”
