Noisy Oak Floor

[AdamD]

I have recently had a hardwood floor laid in my hallway(oak) but each morning as the heating comes on and warms up the wood is creaking and popping, i am assuming it is the floor and not the rad. I have noticed one of the holes the rad pipe comes through to feed the rad is very tight on the pipe itself (touching it). Could this be the cause or if not what could it be and how can i fix it, it wakes me at 6am!!

Thanks

 

[floordoctor]

Hi,
Sounds like your floor is expanding with the heat. You absollutely should not have wooden floor fitting tight to radiator pipes...also check if an expansion gap has been maintained around the perimeter of the floor.
There should be at 10-15mm gap. were the skirts removed and refitted? was a scotia used?

 

[floordoctor]

Sorry forgot to check is it solid or engineered flooring and how was it laid? glue/nail/float?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Hi,
Sounds like your floor is expanding with the heat.

You're on the right track, but never heard of a floor expanding just because of the temperature. The floor is reacting to the heating being switched on after a colder night period, or in other words: the floor is "waking up" too.

During winter time, THE heating season, floorboards are prone to shrink - not expand. The board that's tight to the radiator-pipe: parallel or perpendicular to the wall the radiator is installed to?

 

[AronSearle]

Timber does move thermally, but it's thermal movement is very small and is offset by subsequent moisture movement.

It is possible however that if it is touching a hot surface, it will move thermally quicker than it will move from moisture changes, it's far from common though.

You absolutely should not have wooden floor fitting tight to radiator pipes

 

[AdamD]

Sorry forgot to check is it solid or engineered flooring and how was it laid? glue/nail/float?

Hi its solid wood and floating all the gaps around the edge are correct and i put on skirting after the floor was laid, i think the problem is the floor being tight to rad pipe but now laid not sure how to make the hole bigger so not touching!!

 

[AronSearle]

The boards may swell in summer when the heating goes off, that may damage your rad pipe.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Think you better reconsider and make the gap around the pipe wider. You wouldn't be the first one to end up with a leaking pipe!