Noisy Floor around the partition wall.

[skt1977]

For the last 4 years, ever since I bought this house, this noisy floor has been bothering me. and it has progressively become worse over this period. The sound is centered around the partition wall. When someone walks on that side, close to the wall, I can hear thundering sounds in the bedroom and the sound is what you would hear when 2 pieces of wood are fouling against each other. When I step at particular points in the bedroom, I would hear a noise somewhere close to the partition wall. When I walk on this side close to the partition wall, it is the same noisy walk.(Tatrrr tatrrr..... katrrr katrr.....) When some one walks on that side, I can also feel the floor sinking under my foot in this room with their weight that side - this is not very profound though.

Around 2 weeks back I finally lifted the carpet partially around the partition wall in both rooms a bit and put in some screws thinking this would solve the problem. No.

Yesterday I got around a local guy who does some minor building works and cut out 1 and a half boards in the bedroom to understand what is going on. It turns out that when I step on the joist close to the partition wall the sound is there and this is true for at least 2-3 joists. The boards have a tongue and groove design.

I am still not sure where this sound is coming from. I can reasonably argue the floor boards are well secured to the joists now..

Am I looking at a structural problem here ? Is it the base of the partition wall fouling against the floor in some fashion when the joist bends and comes back due to the weight ? How do I explain the Stepping at point X and the sound at point Y ? Could it be that the joists are fouling against the ceiling boards at the bottom ?

 

[skt1977]

Well, Taking some cue from an old post here

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=102422

I have started exploration on the lines of Partition Wall base plate / chipboard / Nail - squeak theory. Yesterday, I got the skirting out but I am finding it hard to conclude what has been used to secure the lower plate to the floor panel i.e. whether it is nails / screws and also I am struggling to ascertain the exact source of the sound ? Further How do I check if the nail does go through the joist as well. which I suspect, it probably does. I do notice that the lower plate is not 1 single continuous piece of wood but at least 3. Further, as I said in the original post, the sound is very much there even when I stand on the joist and apply my weight.

Here is what I see underneath the lower plate.

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• skt1977
• 20 Oct 2014
• 1

I also notice that towards the center of the room the gap between the chip board and the lower plate is more than it is towards the end Notice the gap in the 2 pictures here.

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• skt1977
• 20 Oct 2014
• 1

I am afraid, this is as far as I could go with my limited knowledge and I now do need some expert advice from experienced people. What should my next step be ?

Please help.