Last summer I nailed down a plank floor, and after the winter the customer said they were hearing cracking/popping sounds in the floor. What would cause that?
Matt Thrane, training specialist at Wauwatosa, Wis.-based Gehl Flooring Supply, answers:
A “noisy” floor is moving, and floors usually move because of extreme temperature and humidity swings. If correct living conditions are not maintained, you may have gaps, fasteners working free from the subfloor and those sounds.
The best way to minimize the possibility of this happening—besides maintaining consistent living conditions—is to add an adhesive assist to the fastening method.
Adhesive assist can be achieved in two ways:
1) Using a hardwood flooring elastomeric tube adhesive applied onto the subfloor or the back of each board prior to nailing in each row. There are a few common application methods (stripes, sine wave pattern, etc.). One thing to note: When using a trigger-activated flooring nailer with glue-assist, the installer must either stand on the floor or apply a downward pressure to the surface of each board as it is being nailed. This ensures the flooring does not lift away from the subfloor, causing unnecessary vertical movement or hollow noises.
2) Using a full-spread hardwood flooring adhesive. With this method, you do not need to use the standard adhesive trowel size required for a full glue-down application, as you also have fasteners assisting the installation. A smaller notch trowel is sufficient as long as you maintain the standard fastener schedule. This method also requires the removal of any paper vapor barrier.
These glue-assist methods can be used on any hardwood flooring, solid or engineered, and are best used when the width of the floor exceeds 4 inches. The homeowner still has to maintain correct temperature and humidity for best performance of their floor and to maintain the manufacturers’ warranties.
