I just finished installing hardwood in the first room of many and I get spots that are squeaking and sometimes popping when I walk on it. I what to figure out what is causing this before I continue through the rest of the house. The wood is 5" hickory pre-finished plank from Floor and Decor. I installed it on 15lb felt with 2" cleats. I didn't install any board that had any defect on the tongue or groove. The wood acclimated for 2.5 weeks. What could be the issue? I think I will have to apply babypowder throughout the room to see if it helps.
New hardwood squeak & popping.
- Thread starter CUBuff
- Start date
Help Support Flooring Forum:
The OBS is 12 years old and only had carpet on it. I was just talking to numerous people at Floor and Decor and they feel it may be the fastener not holding into the OSB but also recommended not using staples because of the potential for splitting
You said you used cleats.
Again, what's under the osb and how thick is it?
First recomendation is do not listen to floor an decor. They are just useless sales persons.
Second, pull up the floor and glue and screw half inch plywood.
Again, what's under the osb and how thick is it?
First recomendation is do not listen to floor an decor. They are just useless sales persons.
Second, pull up the floor and glue and screw half inch plywood.
Did you run out of cleats and not know it? How flat is the floor? Were the seams in the OSB sanded? I've see them swell a lot especially if the house was constructed in the rainy season. The floor (OSB) should be very flat. Check other rooms for flatness if you already have the carpet removed. Use a long level to check for high spots, and dips or puffed up seams.
Don't glue the boards together. That's a wood flooring no-no that the store should know about.
The OSB was not sanded but was very flat and looked like no water damage. I am in a very dry climate. I am concerned it is the harcwood itself because all of the spots that are squeaking it is the groove side of the board that I can push up and down to make the noise. The tounge side is firm as doesn't move.
Well in a perfect world I would like two layers of 3/4" subflooring with a minimum 16" on center. Even 16" on center with a single layer substrate is iffy.
Your fasteners are blowing out the bottom of the osb. Switch to 1 1/2 inch cleats and check your nailing schedule, pressure for over penetration and staying a few inches from the ends.
Your fasteners are blowing out the bottom of the osb. Switch to 1 1/2 inch cleats and check your nailing schedule, pressure for over penetration and staying a few inches from the ends.
Thanks for your help Ernesto. Do you think that hardwood should be able to move vertically as much as it is in the video that I posted or should the T&G be tight enough to not allow the independent movement and they should both move together? It seems like if the nail wasn't holding both boards would move up an down together and squeak. I just want to make sure that if I decide to rip up a bunch and do something with the subfloor that I am not in the same boat because it is a hardwood tolerance issue. When I was at the store yesterday I grabbed the hardwood that I am installing and when you put two boards together they are very slightly loose. Other hardwoods when I put them together stuck together.
5 inch boards generally require glue assist. That may be contributing to the issue. I did a 7" wide plank last year that didn't require glue but that was the only one I've seen that was okay to just nail. Had an osb type core.
How thick is the material? 2" cleat sounds way large unless your talking 3/4". Staples will bite and hold tigher than cleats. I mentioned glue assist above. Forgot to include that you may need to use roll on moisture control product as paper cant be used with GA.
