floating timber creaking

Hi all,

we installed floating timbers in our rooms and main areas of our house since last year, around Jan 2005. We had not notice any warping on the floating timber floors. During the winter season (around August/Sept) we experienced a bit of creaking sound on the floor at different parts of the house. The creaking sound at various areas become more prominent as we moved into the summer up to now (Mar 2006). Initially during the winter season, I thought the creaking sound could be due to the use of heating within the house. Now that it's summer, the creaking becomes more prodominent. The creaking sounds like dry wood creaking. There's no uneven surfaces warping except for the slight consistent indentation where the floading timber locks together on all four sides. They are all pushed in slightly at an angle as part of the finished work in gluing and locking the timbers together. This is a normal finish, I gather.

Is this creaking normal? Can something be done about it? Will it go away after a while? We also use a centralised evaporative cooler since last year and this year. The only difference is that we didn't have the creaking sound last year.

Thanks for reading.

Sorry I cant help, but would be interested in the out come.

Al :)

Just taking a stab here, but from what you describe I gather the floor runs through several rooms?

Could be timber movement; not warping but the timber changing length (and to a lesser degree, width) with changes in humidity. If some room's are better ventilated (or not served by the swampy/heating) then those floors will change at a different rate to the "main" floors. The creaking could be the movement along the tongue'n'groove; tension building up until the stresses overcome friction and a quick "creak" as it relieves itself.

It could also be the same principle between the skirting and the floor if the skirting's fitted too tightly... but I can't imagine anyone putting that much effort into fitting skirting boards in the first place. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by solagratia

we installed floating timbers in our rooms and main areas of our house since last year, around Jan 2005.

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How much clearance was left between the floating floor and the existing skirting. Those evaporative coolers pump out a lot of moist air, maybe there's some swelling in the new floor and not enough clearance to accomodate the movement.

Always thought it was wise to run a bead a glue btw every board on a floating floor (but the ol skirting board caper would be my 1st move)some boards us nylon splines, But i would still be finding room for a lil glue.



Max Ripper Goodluck

G'day.
Because it is Floating flooring it will move more than Real timber flooring. The creaking is normal for floaters.

Get used to it.

Hooroo.
Regards, Trevor
Grafton