Miserable - new laminated floor creaks

[Terry Pinnell]

We've just had Pergo laminated flooring laid in hall, kitchen and downstairs loo (on a concrete screeded floor). £1,500 total, balance due to be paid today. It *looks* fine, but we're very unhappy. In maybe half a dozen places, it creaks when you step on it. The fitter made no mention of it before he left, clearly in a hurry to finish after the 2-day job.

I spent ages yesterday walking on the affected areas, optimistically hoping that it would show signs of 'bedding in'. But it's now clear that's not going to happen. And I know we're not going to be able to live with this constant creaking.

I'm mortified at the prospect of having it all removed and replaced, even if the supplier agrees to that. But I'm resolute that I'm not going to pay the £750 balance today.

Any advice/suggestions would be much appreciated please.

[BigWallop]

How long has the flooring be down on the floor? Are you over any time limit to make calls on your dissatisfaction with the work done? Is there a guarantee on the labour and materials?

If you've left it to long in complaining, then the company can demand their money on time as agreed, and your complaint may have to be judged on the guarantees you received from them or the flooring manufacturers. This might be difficult to prove if you didn't make the companies aware of your dissatisfaction within days of the completion of the work.

The flooring makers and fitters could also claim that the environment in which the product was installed has been changed since the work was carried out. So don't delay your comments about the annoyances you're now finding with the floor, and make sure you have let everyone that was involved in its installation know that you're not satisfied.

Hopefully they will remedy any defects before making you pay any due balance, even if it's only for customer relations purposes. If they pride themselves in the work they do, they'll want to keep you as a recommendation to others. But make sure you voice your opinions now, before it's to late.

[R Taylor]

you want the job they done to be as good as the money you give them and given the fact that the squeak isn't a design characteristic (not one that I've ever heard of) it's a flaw and ought to be rectified before the balance is paid.

RT

[Terry Pinnell]

Thanks both. Flooring was laid Tues/Wed. Creaks apparent that evening and ever since.

[Andy Hall]

Terry, the other thing that I would suggest, is to try to get the fitter to resolve the problem first, and if he does wait for a few days to make sure it's a proper fix.

Then if not, or if he is difficult about it, write to him sending the letter by recorded/special delivery. This way, if you do end up having to address the issue legally, there is a written and dated record.

[MM]

I didn't lay expensive Pergo, but far cheaper Floors-2-Go stuff and it creaks a bit, too. Others in this group have mentioned similar squeaks and creaks in the past. It seems like it's just one of those things.

MM

[MM]

I laid mine 9 months ago and it still creaks. Basically, I don't care very much, as I don't do much walking about in the bedrooms, and downstairs I've got ceramic tiles.

If you do a search for 'laminate creaking' in

'll get some more threads on the same topic, going back several years.

MM

[Richard]

Your laminate floor squeaks because movement takes place when you walk on it. The two most likely causes that allow this movement are that the flooring has been laid with insufficient allowance for expansion or that the screeded areas are not flat enough to allow a satisfactory installation. It could of course be a combination of both these problems.

Your floor layer should be able to correct for lack of expansion provision fairly easily without taking all the flooring up.If the problem stems from uneveness in the screed or changes in levels between the areas no competent floor layer should have laid the laminate without making good the screed before starting the job.

Your are fortunate in having a 50% retention in hand. It is essential that the flooring work is rectified because if left in it's present state traffic over the affected areas will eventually cause cracking and splitting of the flooring which will be even worse than the squeaks.

Richard

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[Lee]

So far, none of the laminate I've fitted has creaked or squeaked. I don't think it's something you should put up with, even if it does seem to be a common occurrence. Unless the fitter had warned that it might of course...

I'd be inclined to agree with the other poster, it's does sound like the subfloor is not level enough. If this is the case, then the fitter should have noticed and rectified the problem before fitting the laminate.

Lee

[Simon Stroud]

Hi Terry,

I've just fitted some Pergo in my hall.

Last time I fitted Pergo it was glue-together stuff. Seems things have moved on and the Pergo "click together" stuff does seem very good. No gaps, easy to lay, etc.

BUT it now has a built-in "underlay" action consisting of a kind of felt backing. And they (Pergo) have stopped doing most of their old underlay materials (the approx 2mm thick roll foamy stuff and the approx 6-7mm thick "fibreish boards"). Where I bought mine (Allied) they said that with the current "click" system they do not recommend ANY soft underlay because this can cause just the kind of movement/problems that you have had. They supplied some of their own-brand "Isolene" underlay which is about a 1.2mm thick fairly stiff foamy sheet (foil on one side) and they said that was about the thickest thing you could get away with putting underneath. I was keen to make my Pergo as thick as possible including underlay because:

1) I needed to incorporte a recess for a coir doormat and if too thin this would stick up above the surface and 2) I needed to join to some old Pergo in a doorway. That was the old glue-type and was on the "green boards" underlay so quite thick.

Anyway it worked out very well. No visible movement and certainly no creaks.

Has your "professional" installer put some unsuitable too-soft/thick underlay down? Or as others have suggested was the concrete flat enough?

Whatever, you are in a fairly good position with 50% held back. Good luck!

Regards, Simon.

[Terry Pinnell]

Many thanks for all the further helpful replies.

I've since spoken to both the Pergo Technical Manager and the supplier manager (Rusdens, who subcontract the fitting to someone who has worked for them for many years).

The Pergo manager said it was possible that materials were faulty, but very unlikely from my description of localised 'creak spots' rather than uniform creaking throughout. That pointed to 'site' or fitting problems, as others have said up thread. He said the tolerance they specified was '3mm in a 2m square'. (BTW, it's a minor point, but I'm now not entirely sure whether that means 3mm anywhere in a square with sides of about 1,4m, or a 4 square metre area with sides of 2m.) Obviously that referred to the concrete surface, before fitting. But he also advised I should try a straight edge in various places, on the laminate surface. Doing so, I found a lot of places where there were gaps. A 12" ruler (checked for straightness) 'rocks' on a central hump of 2mm or so.

The Rusdens manager is 'calling in the Pergo rep' as a first step. He is saying that it 'must be the exceptionally uneven floor'. But I am beginning to think it looks like there is insufficient lateral space, so the panels are bowing upwards. Perhaps because some section 'almost fitted' and he decided to leave it at that, rather than trim a tiny bit more off the width.

Hopefully we can work things out. Have told Rusdens for sure I'm not paying the balance. Will report back with progress.

[The Natural Philosopher]

My floor - self fitted - did that. The prepacks of wood expanded - especially in summer humidity..

I had my chippies in to do the skirting, and they used a jigsaw to 'ease' the edges where ther was a problem, and its all at least flat now, however fitting laminate over a non flat concrete floor will always end up with some creak.