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Hardwood flooring

bski | Posted in General Discussion on March 28, 2012 09:02am

I am currently installing some 4″ maple prefinished flooring.  It has had about a month to acclimate to the house.  It’s being installed over 3/4″ fir underlayment that is over a layer of 1″x10″ pine running diagnal to the joists.  All unerlayment and subflooring was properly fastened.  Now after laying about half the maple, there are some random squeeks and pops as I walk around on it.   I am fastening it with 2″ Bostich staples about every 4 to 6 inches.  Any idea what I am doing wrong?  Would a flooring nailer be a better option?

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  1. calvin | Mar 28, 2012 09:57pm | #1

    All unerlayment and subflooring was properly fastened.

    Could you explain the above and did you lay any rosin or felt paper b/4 laying the floor.

    I don't believe your problem stems from the staples (if they are long enough) vs. a cleat nailer. 

    One other thought-are your staples driving deep enough into the tongue?

    1. bski | Mar 28, 2012 10:06pm | #2

      The 1"/10"s were screwed into

      The 1"/10"s were screwed into the joists with deck screws.  The 3/4" ply was gapped and screwed into the 1xs with deck screws about 6" intervals.  None of the floor squeeked prior to hardwood installation.  Put down rosin paper prior to install.  Staples are not cracking tounge but are setting flush.  Could part of the problem be that its 4" flooring?  There is not a lot of noise, just in a few spots.  I just think that there shouldn't be any on a new floor.

      1. Piffin | Mar 29, 2012 08:54pm | #3

        How far do the staples penetrate the 1x10s?

        1. bski | Mar 29, 2012 10:01pm | #4

          Good question. Probably about 1/4".  So I should switch to shorter staples?  What do you normally use to fasten 3/4" flooring?

          1. IdahoDon | Mar 29, 2012 11:05pm | #5

            As usual Piffin is probably on the right track!  I'd also throw out that you may have a slight hump on that section of floor and the new flooring is having a heck of a time laying flat over the hump and you're compressing the gap when you walk on it causing the squeek.   Such a hump wouldn't squeek with just the subfloor installed since you screwed that down well.    Also screws can cause depressions in the floor if the 1 x 10s area  little thin in a spot (or the edges aren't curled up as much).  Along the same lines, a single prefinished board with a bit of a wow in it can cause squeeks in that particular area.  I like to put tape on a squeek to draw attention to it's location - over the span of a few days you'll get to know it better and if it's something involving only a few boards I've been known to drill a 1/16" hole every 8" or so and inject a gob of gorilla glue with a horse needle and syringe - it expands and helps to fill a gap under the floor.  It only helps - it won't always solve your problem.

            Now this may sound silly, but you may also hold a straight edge over the squeeky area and have someone walk on it while watching for slight movement - sometimes you'll see the squeeky board or boards actually move under weight, adding to the clues.

            If you have access under the floor you may also get on a ladder and look closely at the sub subfloor as it's walked on - you may have a joist that's lifted up by the screws and for some reason hasn't decided to squeek until now.

            Edit:  It wouldn't be unheard of to have a factory fresh board a little shy of the correct thickness being held up off the floor by just it's tongue on one side and the groove on the other.

          2. Piffin | Mar 30, 2012 09:35pm | #6

            The fastener should penetrate THRU the subfloor

            Since you have a doubled subfloor with staples only 1/4" thru into the lower portion, they are not stuck to it or contributing to keeping the two together.

            So I suspect thetips of those staples working within that connetion space is the sorce of the noise. A longer fastener might help. I would have glued the ply to the under sheathing to eliminate this possibility.

            But maybe I am wrong andthere is another cause.

  2. bski | Apr 01, 2012 09:24pm | #7

    What is the proper method of laying underlayment? I've always read about attaching it so the two layers could move seperatly.  i was under the impression that gluing it was a no no as was screwing the underlayment into the joists.

    1. Piffin | Apr 01, 2012 11:06pm | #8

      IMO, the two should always be glued together.

      With CMU bd they reomend no mechanical fasteners into the joists, but very well fastened to the under subfloor.

      You have two plies of wood that should be made as one tho. When they are allowed to move separately, they make noises.

      1. DanH | Apr 01, 2012 11:23pm | #9

        When they are allowed to move separately, they make noises.

        And cracks.

  3. bski | Apr 14, 2012 12:06am | #10

    Upon further inspection, it seems that the squeeking is coming from the hardwood itself.  I don't know if it was faulty milling on a few peices or what, but the noise is coming from the grooved peice moving on the stapled tounge piece.  The stapled piece is solid and stationary, so either the tounge is too small, or the joining groove is too big.  I don't know the best fix.  I do have a really good filler that blends well and I am leaning towards trim screws.  Ideas?

    1. DanH | Apr 14, 2012 05:12am | #11

      Talcum powder -- the real stuff.

    2. IdahoDon | Apr 15, 2012 04:53pm | #12

      If it's just a few boards I'd drill 1/16" holes into the grove and inject glue with a horse syringe to keep the boards from moving at this joint - you can't do that to multiple boards in a row since they need to remain free to expand and contract.

    3. Piffin | Apr 15, 2012 09:14pm | #13

      Talcum powder

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