Hello.
We have just had a solid wood floor fitted in our living/dining room and hallway.I don't know whether I am right in feeling a little anxious about it - any comment would be much appreciated.
The floor in both areas is very creaky. Is this to be expected, and will it settle and stop over time?
In the living/dining room the new floor is laid over the existing floorboards, in the same direction. There is a fibreboard underlay between them. The boards are glued together by the T&G and nailed at the ends (now hidden under skirting), and I think at various places in the middle of the area too. The floor seems to move when walked on. Feels just like the original floorboards did - not much, but a little bit of bounce. Is this inevitable, and does it matter? It is a 'general' movement - ie. not as though the boards underneath are uneven, more as though the new and old floors are moving together.
In the hallway, the new floor is laid on sound dry quarry tiles (on concrete base). The new wood is glued together and floated on top of a combination of dpm and fibreboard underlay. The floor does not seem to move in this area particularly but does creak.
As far as I know, appropriate expansion gaps have been left - much of this is now under skirting which was replaced at the same time, but there are gaps in areas that are visible. As far as I know, suitable glue was used to stick the boards together too.
The floor looks perfect and we're really pleased from that perspective, I just can't bear the thought of having to replace it - either cost or hassle. It's only been down just over a week, so I'm keeping fingers crossed that the movement is just normal, and that the creaking will go eventually.
Sorry for the long post - any thoughts?
Thanks.
We have just had a solid wood floor fitted in our living/dining room and hallway.I don't know whether I am right in feeling a little anxious about it - any comment would be much appreciated.
The floor in both areas is very creaky. Is this to be expected, and will it settle and stop over time?
In the living/dining room the new floor is laid over the existing floorboards, in the same direction. There is a fibreboard underlay between them. The boards are glued together by the T&G and nailed at the ends (now hidden under skirting), and I think at various places in the middle of the area too. The floor seems to move when walked on. Feels just like the original floorboards did - not much, but a little bit of bounce. Is this inevitable, and does it matter? It is a 'general' movement - ie. not as though the boards underneath are uneven, more as though the new and old floors are moving together.
In the hallway, the new floor is laid on sound dry quarry tiles (on concrete base). The new wood is glued together and floated on top of a combination of dpm and fibreboard underlay. The floor does not seem to move in this area particularly but does creak.
As far as I know, appropriate expansion gaps have been left - much of this is now under skirting which was replaced at the same time, but there are gaps in areas that are visible. As far as I know, suitable glue was used to stick the boards together too.
The floor looks perfect and we're really pleased from that perspective, I just can't bear the thought of having to replace it - either cost or hassle. It's only been down just over a week, so I'm keeping fingers crossed that the movement is just normal, and that the creaking will go eventually.
Sorry for the long post - any thoughts?
Thanks.
