Creaky Floors

[Chris Eytcheson]

Question: Has anyone ran into any problems with this type of flooring?

I installed it in my kitchen as per the installations guides and now the flooring cracks like crazy the first time I walk on it in the morning. The flooring continues to crack for the rest of the day but the noise reduces after we have walked on it a few times.

I talked to Universal Flooring about this and they said that I installed the product wrong. They are claiming that nothing should be touching the flooring.

I left @ 1/2 of space between the flooring and the walls etc but the wall trim and toe kickers on the cabinets are "touching" the flooring.

Anyone have any comments on this? Is it normal to keep the trim and kickers a little off the top of a floating floor? If not, is it likely to cause this type of a problem.

Note: The way I see it the seams are the source of the cracking noise. Either that or there is some dirt, etc under the underlay.

Feel free to email me at: [e-mail]

[m Ransley]

It is expanding, so raise your molding so it wont touch the floor.

[Art]

Molding is too tight and preventing floor from floating and expanding/contracting properly.

[Art]

Make sure molding nailed to walls and not to floor which would prevent movement as designed.

[Al Bundy]

"Chris Eytcheson" wrote in news:g_XKg.501286 $Mn5.221247@pd7tw3no:

My understanding is the edge of the flooring 1/4-1/2" away from walls, wall base molding, etc. Shoe or qtr round should sit on top of the floor (not pounded tight down on it. It would be shitty looking if they are saying the top surface of the laminate has to have a gap to the underside of any molding. Is that what they are saying?

Just curious. If you left 1/2" from the baseboards, what type of molding did you put to cover the gap? Can't be shoe molding. That's only 7/16 wide I think. Qtr round maybe?

I don't know if it would damage the laminate surface short or long term - spraying some aerosol silicone in there? And, it's a Band-Aid really.

What seams? You mean the joints of each of the planks? You mentioned underlayment so I assume you put like the "2 in 1" poly backed foam down. Also, that floor has to be flat to start with. If not, those seams will bend vertically and bind as you walk on it. It doesn't take much play. Bending = friction = noise.

Just guesses. Not an expert or pro installer and, or course, I can't see what it looks like.