Solid Wood floor - squeaky and springy

[Sapper]

Hi - I'm looking at buying a house which has solid wood, juncker-style flooring. In spots around the house, the flooring is pretty creaky and in someplaces it's a bit springy (you can press up and down on the floor to get the creaking going). I'm told the floor is only a year old....

I'm thinking that perhaps the problem is that the floor has not been given enough room to expand. Is this a factor for solid wood flooring just like it is for floorboards?

I was thinking perhaps the remedy would be to remove the skirtings and cut back the wood by an inch or so for an expansion gap.

Or will I just ruin a perfectly good floor?

 

[gcol]

It's more likely that the floor surface underneath isn't level and the voids are causing the springy effect.

 

[Sapper]

Really? Even though it's a brand new build with concrete underneath?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Really? Even though it's a brand new build with concrete underneath?

Especially new builds with new concrete underneath, if the 'quality' of new builds in Ireland is the same as over here!

 

[Sapper]

Well I'm not sure I remember anyone singing the praises of new developments in Dublin anyway!

Actually, I'm going off solid wood flooring these days and was probably going to carpet the main living areas. Don't really want to get rid of the solid wood though as most people would view that as a selling point.

Is it okay to leave the junckers flooring in place and just carpet over it? If yes, would the carpet dampen the creaking? (I've only ever had wood floors in the past - new convert to carpet)

 

[WoodYouLike]

Well I'm not sure I remember anyone singing the praises of new developments in Dublin anyway!

Actually, I'm going off solid wood flooring these days

As most people Wood-Engineered floors, especially the thicker ones and the full-plank types with bevels, are sold more and more instead of solid flooring the last few years. The European Parquet Producing Organisation reported over 2005 'only' 7% solid flooring being made (and most of that used for 'old-fashioned' parquet flooring e.g. herringbones and the likes). The rest 'just' 93% was multi-layered wooden flooring