Squeaky newly layed engineered floating wood floor Help, advice, information, answers and tips on all types of flooring from laminate and carpet to timber and vinyl

[diynewbie]

I had an engineered wood floor layed in my lounge 2 weeks ago. It squeaks/creaks to walk on, particularly in the middle of the room. Is this normal? Or could it be because the expansion gap left was not big enough?

[DUDE DIY]

Few things here...could be the floor it was laid on wasnt flat in the section it squeaks, could be poor quality underlay or even loose floor boards beneath.

[Tegga]

I have the same squeaky problem on an engineered floor.
To be honest, I had my doubts about the floor as I was sure the existing floor wasn't level enough.
I've had the owner of the firm that fitted it come to see and HEAR it. He said he'd never heard of it before and suggested oiling the floor.
Can anyone suggest a suitable oil/treatment as I don't want to alter or spoil the colour.
Many thanks.

[Infoadviser]

The owner of the firm that fitted your floor has never heard this before? I think that's BS! I wonder how many times he has told his customers to "oil the floor" Maybe adding antifreeze to it will keep it from overheating as well. There could be a few reasons for the squeak. The other posts to solving the problem are all valid. You probably should start by taking a look under the perimeter molding. This is most likely 3/4 round. It covers the the gap between the floor and the baseboard. Check a few different places by pulling up the molding, be careful not to break it, use a screw driver to pry it up carefully so that you can use it back again. Once up, check to see if there was a 1/4 inch gap left between the laminate flooring and the wall. This is a standard measurement for most laminate flooring installations. Measure it anyway you can, not just by eye sight but with accurate means. If that is good, it may be the sub-floor was uneven when the laminate was installed. There are different means of leveling a floor before installation, on many different types of sub-flooring. Contractors usually want to hurry and get the job done, more so when it comes to flooring. There are some that do these jobs correctly and many that don't. The laminate floors are not meant to be "oiled". There are a variety of cleaning products designed just for them, but as far as adding oil to help in removing the squeak, I wouldn't recommend it. It is very possible that the floor was uneven, maybe a dip in it, and when you walk on it your weight pushes the laminate down below the rest of the floors plane therefore the squeak. Another option, which you may have done already is to find out the floors manufacturer and give them a call with these questions. You may even find then on the web where FAQ will be posted that may very well answer your questions. Good luck to you!

[jwr]

It is indeed BS . iF it squeeks when you walk on it , it can only be two things , not enough expansion room was left around the edge of the room and the boards have expanded and possibly risen a little due to having nowhere to go , this causes a squeek when you put pressure on it . It sounds more like an un level floor to me though . A dip in the middle of the floor would certainly cause a squeek . The suggestion of oiling a laminate floor is rediculous and is a very poor excuse from the company .
To correct the problem properly you may well have to re lay the floor , any other attempt to lessen any noise will no doubt be a short term fix , if it works at all . Id get on the phone and give them some grief as one way or another they have ballsed it up .