Almost everyone has experienced squeaky laminate floors in their lives and knows how annoying it can be. Laminate squeaking is especially terrible when there are small children or a sick person in the house.
Any, even careful movement on the floor involuntarily leads to a creak that interrupts the child's restful sleep, causes irritation in a sick or elderly person.
Meanwhile, there are ways to lay the laminate so that it does not creak.
Well, if the floor has already been laid and has begun to creak, then our recommendations will help you eliminate the creak of the floors.
Why do the floors creak in the apartment
This article discusses all cases of creaky laminate floors that prevent the appearance of creaking during operation, tips for eliminating creaking in already laid floors.
When a laminate creaks, the most demanded task is how to fix such a flaw.
Let us consider in detail all the options for the appearance of a creak and establish the cause of the creaking of the floors in the apartment.
Irregularities of the base
The main reason why the laminate creaks is the irregularity of the base on which the flooring has been laid or is being laid.
Most often, the causes of creaking are depressions or pits over which the laid laminate sags. And if you step in this place, then the material sags, which causes an annoying creak.
It is possible to exclude the appearance of a squeak, only careful.
There are times when the laminate creaks after installation.
In an already laid laminate floor, creaky spots are eliminated by partially disassembling the laminate above the recess. Alignment of the recess is done using a mortar and checking the flatness of the site.
Making sure the floor is level is a big rule of thumb and a fix for the root cause of squeaking.
Drops and depressions in the base of the floor are the main cause of floor creaking.
After the surface has completely dried, you can lay the laminate on the floor.
If the entire floor creaks, you will have to remove the entire laminate.
Attention! Before disassembling a laminate floor, be sure to number all the dies. This will greatly simplify the subsequent assembly process.
The base freed from the laminate is leveled by pouring the floor. After complete drying, the surface is primed, a substrate is laid on it. The thickness of the substrate cannot be more than 3 mm.
The underlay thickness is not correct.
This is a typical mistake for inexperienced parquet floorers. To smooth out surface irregularities, a thick substrate is often used. And this becomes the reason why the floor creaks. The reason is banal, with a large thickness of the substrate, the laminate sags in the recesses, which causes the appearance of a creak. The recommended thickness of the substrate material is up to 3 mm. More and way of styling.
By the way, when choosing a substrate, give preference to substrates that provide sound insulation, smoothing out irregularities, and moisture protection.
Inadmissible gap between walls and laminate
To eliminate floor creaking from the laminate, a gap is maintained between the laid out surface and the walls, the value of which should not be less than 7 mm.
The gap is regulated by the area of the laid out surface. The larger the area, the greater the gap required to withstand when laying.
To prevent squeaking of the laminate, be sure to maintain a gap when laying around the perimeter. The presence of a gap allows the laminate to take a comfortable position, does not allow stress in the lock joints.
Since the laminate expands with increasing temperature, with a small gap, the board rests against the walls. And when walking, the coating rubs, causing a creak.
And how to get rid of the creak of the laminate if the gap is not maintained?
The plinth needs to be removed. If the laminate located near the walls rests against it or the substrates are not pulled out, then the stops must be removed and the gap must be set. To form the desired gap, you will need to remove the board and cut out those places that rest against the wall. If for technological reasons this cannot be done, then you can do this, you can cut out either a laminate with a dreamer or a perforator to deepen the wall.
After completion, we vacuum and install the baseboard.
Humidity changes
The reason for the creaking of the laminate may be increased humidity in the room.
Attention! When the humidity returns to its original state, as a rule, the floor stops creaking.
When laying laminate, try to measure the humidity in the room and keep it constant throughout the year.
But how to eliminate the creak of the laminate if the humidity in the room is constantly changing?
In this case, it is only necessary to withstand the time for the laminate to get used to the differences, remember them. Over time, squeaks and crunches will go away.
Ingress of sand and dust
Needs to be cleaned Flooring must be laid on a clean surface. The substrate, laminate boards, the base are carefully vacuumed and wiped. They should be free of dirt and dust.
Attention! Laying laminate without a vacuum cleaner is not recommended.
The ingress of dust into the locks will eventually lead to creaking and destruction of the locks.
By the way, a poorly made surface screed can crumble over time, causing a creak. Under load, the laminate touches the base, frays the components of the screed.
Such a technological technique will reliably protect the base from destruction.
If the laminate creaks after installation, and the reason is sand and dust, then disassembly is indispensable.
Each die is numbered, the floors are dismantled, the dust is removed with a vacuum cleaner.
The surface is carefully primed in several layers. The next layer of primer is applied only after the previous layer has completely dried.
A new substrate of the required thickness is laid on the base, and a laminate is laid on top, according to the numbering.
Poor board quality
One of the reasons why laminate flooring squeaks may be the poor quality of the material. And even a quality base, cleanliness during assembly, the right gap, the right substrate will lead to a squeak if you lay low quality laminate. In a low-quality laminate, locks that are not sized are the weak point. This is what causes the creak.
The squeak is eliminated only by a complete change of coating. .
Voltage in locks
This reason is the most common. Moreover, such a defect can also be observed in a high-quality laminate, but only in the first weeks or months. A professional laminate has one quality, it can adapt to the geometry of the room, taking the optimal position.
It is only necessary to provide gaps for the laminate so that it can take a comfortable position. The creaks will disappear by themselves after a few weeks.
And how to eliminate the creak of the laminate without disassembly?
Here are some useful tips, the implementation of which saves the day, eliminates the creak of a parquet or laminate floor.
- Elimination of local squeak. To eliminate local creaking, it is necessary to warm up the paraffin candle. Hot wax should be poured over and wiped the seams of the laminate boards in places of creaking. Grouting is best done with a thin plastic spatula. Good results are obtained by grouting with an old plastic card that has already gone out of circulation.
- If your laminate creaks, what to do indiscriminately? The floor creaks against the walls, then, having removed the plinth, foam the joints with mounting foam or fill them with PVA glue.
- In the middle of the room, the problem is solved by drilling holes with a diameter of 0.6 mm and pumping PVA glue with a syringe and do not advance for 48 hours.
- If the thresholds are walking, they can be glued to transparent silicone.
- Pour in oils as a means of eliminating creaking.
- Use of mounting foam in floor cavities.
Conclusion:
- The cause of squeaking laminate floors affects the difficulty of fixing the problem.
- To prevent squeaking, you need to make an even base, choose a substrate of the desired thickness, work in a clean room with clean materials, use a high-quality laminate.
- To permanently eliminate the creak of the laminate, it is recommended to make an ideal floor screed.
- Monitor room humidity.
But the decision is always yours
One of the unpleasant consequences that improper laying of laminate can lead to is the creaking of laminate panels when walking. And the question of what to do if the laminate creaks arises quite often.
In this article, we will analyze the main reasons why this squeak occurs and look at ways to fix it.
Reasons why laminate flooring creaks
In fact, there may be several reasons why the laminate creaks after installation:
- The most common reason is laying laminate flooring on uneven ground.. If the laminate panels were mounted on an insufficiently even base, for example, on a concrete floor with differences in plane, then the laminate creak will appear pretty soon.
The point is this: immediately after the irregularities are compensated by a lining under the laminate. But over time, the lining is compressed, and the load on the laminate locks increases. It is under these conditions that a creak occurs.
- Another reason for creaking is debris, sand or small pebbles under the laminate.. This situation arises if the base has not been thoroughly cleaned before.
As in the previous case, at first the creak does not appear, since the substrate reliably protects it from it. But as soon as the substrate loses its shape and elasticity, you immediately begin to hear a characteristic sound.
Note!
A tell-tale sign that sand or debris is the cause of squeaking is the fact that laminate flooring squeaks when walking barefoot, not just when walking with shoes on.
- Also, the laminate can creak if there is no necessary gap between the laminate and the baseboard.. Indeed, the plinth should not be tightly pressed against the laminate - otherwise the laminate, which is a fairly “movable” floor covering, will not be able to deform freely under loads, but will “rub” against the edge of the plinth.
- In addition to the gap between the plane of the laminate and the plinth, a gap of at least 10 mm is also required between the edge of the laminate and the wall.
The absence of this gap also leads to excessive compression of the laminate panels. As a result - increased load on the locks and creaking under load.
- Well, and finally - one more reason. Even on a flat surface, a laminate laid according to all the rules will creak if it is a low-quality laminate.
That's why you should not buy the cheapest laminate flooring models (although their price seems quite tempting).
Otherwise, we will no longer have to look for the cause of the creak, but find out why the laminate is cracking and where the cracks come from in it.
Dealing with laminate squeak
We cut the laminate
When we figured out why the laminate floor creaks, it's time to move on to the steps to eliminate the creak.
If the laminate creaks due to the lack of a gap between it and the wall, the problem is most easily solved.
To eliminate the squeak, proceed as follows:
- We dismantle the plinth that closes the gap between the laminate and the wall.
- We disassemble the laminate panels adjacent to the wall (how to disassemble and assemble the laminate can be studied using the video instructions).
- Using a circular or reciprocating saw, we cut the edges of the panels so that the gap is the 10 mm we need.
- We mount the panels in place.
Advice!
In this case, it will not be superfluous to check whether the plinth is also involved in the creak. If it seems to you that the gap between the plinth and the laminate plane is insufficient, it is better to fix the plinth a little higher.
How to eliminate the creak of the laminate in this situation, we hope we figured it out. Moreover, it is not difficult to do this even with your own hands, without involving laminate laying masters.
But what if the gap between the laminate and the wall is sufficient, but the laminate still creaks?
Most likely - it's either an uneven floor or garbage, as we noted earlier.
Cleaning the floor under the laminate
If you think the cause of the squeak is dust and sand under the laminate, then the best way to get rid of the squeak is to remove the dust and sand.
Of course, if you have laid a very high-quality laminate, then you can just wait - over time, the grains of sand will grind between the concrete base and the laminate panels, and the creak will go away. But it’s better not to risk it, because the laminate can seriously wear out from the inside during this time.
Cleaning the floor under the laminate do this:
- We dismantle the laminate throughout the room. If the laminate creaks in only one place, you can limit yourself to, so to speak, “local destruction”.
- We're filming. After dedusting the base, by the way, it is better to replace it - and not lay the worn one in the old place.
- We clean the base under the laminate with a vacuum cleaner. In some cases, you can first walk on the floor with a damp cloth.
- Before laying the laminate back, we also wipe the locks and the underside of the panels with a damp, clean cloth.
By the way, before removing the creaking of the laminate in this way, you can try a compromise solution: we put a sheet of cardboard into the gap between the wall and the laminate under the creaking area. It should help - but, however, only if the area near the wall creaks.
floor leveling
But what if the laminate creaks due to installation on an uneven floor?
Here you will have to prepare for major repairs.
The instruction in this case is as follows:
- We dismantle the laminate, remove the substrate from the base.
- We lay a leveling cement-sand screed on a concrete base.
- Apply a self-leveling coating over the dried screed.
- We scrape the wooden base, and if the scraping did not help, we level it by laying sheets of thick plywood or chipboard on it.
- We check the plane of the resulting base using a level.
- As an insurance, we dedust the base using a sufficiently powerful vacuum cleaner.
- We lay the substrate on the base.
- We mount the laminate panels, paying attention to the fact that construction dust does not get into the locks.
As a rule, after all this, the creak of the laminate “leaves” forever.
We hope these tips will be useful to you, because you can implement them without even having special skills. So if you or your friends have a laminate floor that creaks, you already know what to do!
Laminate involves a special installation system. This and other factors can cause flooring to squeak after installation.
It is not necessary to change all the lamellas and organize a new repair. There are the most common problems that can cause an unpleasant defect. Let's take a look at them and how to fix them.
Possible reasons
Squeaking may occur at various times after the flooring has been installed. The main reasons are considered:
- There are so-called temporary creaks. Then the laminate stops making unpleasant sounds after a short time or after the change of seasons. This is caused by changes in temperature and humidity in the room. This is possible if the flooring was not left in the room before installation to adapt to the conditions of future use.
- Dusty base or stones easy to recognize. In this case, the slats creak underfoot without shoes. Particles get into cracks and locks. Large gaps between joints - the problem of laying out of technology or drying out of materials.
- Compensation gaps between the wall and the plinth are necessary to reduce the load on the coating panels. A creak also occurs due to non-compliance with the instructions. Fixing skirting boards should give a little freedom for barely noticeable movement of the laminate. When this is not possible, there is again a load and a characteristic sound.
- uneven base is a big problem and needs a lot of effort to fix. The presence of pits in the finishing screed, the depth of which is more than 3-4 mm, will help to determine this reason. Savings on leveling translates into re-repair costs. Due to the recesses, the substrate is erased, the lamellas bend, the level and geometry of the floor are disturbed.
- Base from old parquet, boards could also be the cause of the squeak. It is diagnosed by parsing part or all of the coating. The method of elimination depends on the scale of the defects.
- Thick backing wears out over time due to stress and its softness. The changes are similar in a situation with an uneven base.
- Poor quality laminate- one of the most expensive options. Unscrupulous manufacturers produce products from materials that are subject to low mechanical stress and lose their properties in the first or second year of use.
To prevent most problems, it is important to properly prepare the base, follow the laying technology and select the right materials. For example, when laying laminate on old parquet and wooden floors, it is difficult to achieve a perfectly flat surface. Therefore, plywood is mounted in sheets. The main assistant in such work is a laser level, which allows you to notice even small deviations and irregularities.
How it is done - see this article.
All the nuances of repairing a wooden floor in Khrushchev are discussed in detail here.
How can I fix this without parsing?
They try to avoid dismantling the entire floor covering. First of all, the cause of the creak is established. Sometimes methods without global parsing help:
- Increased humidity contributes to a change in the structure of the laminate. Porous surfaces become thicker, take up more space, and additional loads appear at the joints in excess of the established norm. A simple way out is to measure the humidity and turn on the heaters. It is undesirable to turn on the underfloor heating system, it is better to heat the wall radiators. They will remove excess moisture from the air in a particular room and do not directly affect the coating itself. The temperature can be increased gradually, noting changes in the panels.
- If there are no gaps between the wall and the extreme lamellas, then they are increased by cutting. You need the right tool. A large distance can sometimes be eliminated by placing a piece of thick cardboard between the wall and the panels. Parsing is not needed with a snug fit of the plinth. It is unscrewed, leaving a gap of about 10 mm. Distance between wall and adjacent lamellas cannot be less than 7 mm in small spaces. The maximum gap reaches 30mm if the room is spacious.
- Immediately after laying the laminate, there is a rattle from lock joints or joints. They can pass in a couple of months after the start of operation. Otherwise, the cause should be looked for more carefully. Permanent creaking in the locks is eliminated by pouring a special sealant. Before doing this, you need to make sure that there are no dust and dirt particles in them. The tool will additionally give water resistance.
For information on how to get rid of the squeak immediately after installation, see the following video:
How to eliminate floor creaking in an apartment with analysis?
Dismantling is an effective way to identify and eliminate the cause of long-playing squeaks. It is enough to disassemble a small area with lamellas:
- An uneven base is not an exception. This requires a complete dismantling of the floor covering. Checking the height differences is carried out with a tool - a level. Approximate recess tolerances - 3-4 mm per 1 sq. m. The surface, if necessary, is ground and filled with a leveling screed. Finishing is also produced by self-leveling mixtures. Again, the differences are checked and the laminate is laid according to the technology with substrates and gaps.
- There is a cracked screed. This is a violation of the rules of its filling. It is necessary to replace the entire layer and cover a new one with a suitable primer.
- Garbage, sand, dust are removed after parsing the coating. In case of heavy soiling, wipe the base with a damp cloth. Then use a powerful vacuum cleaner. The substrate is replaced with a new one, because it will be covered in dust particles and sand. The inside of the lamellas and the locks are treated with a slightly damp cotton or microfiber material. The laminate is re-installed, preventing dust from penetrating the joints to the surface of the base.
- Poor-quality panels should be disposed of or used in places where the load and environmental impact are negligible. Changes in the layers make the laminate unusable, and defects cannot be repaired. Do the same with a soft and thick substrate.
- Local analysis is appropriate if sounds appear in a certain area. The removed lamellas are installed back after stripping, filling the pits and priming the problem surface.
Bad advice is to lubricate the lock joints and joints with oil-based products. This will eliminate the squeak for a while, but will ruin the laminate and panel bonding.
07.08.2014 02:05
At first glance, it may seem that laying laminate flooring in a hallway or room is not so difficult, but in fact it is not. Laminate flooring is becoming more and more popular nowadays, it is not expensive and perfectly imitates a wooden floor. But many believe that it is not difficult to put it down. However, even the slightest violation of the laying technology can lead to the fact that the laminate creaks after installation, creaks, crunches, and so on. He is especially picky about the state of the foundation on which he is laid, and what to do in this case?
Why does laminate creak after installation?
“In fact, even perfect compliance does not guarantee the absence of creaking,” any experienced installer can say. This flooring is very unpredictable: it can lie for many years without any squeaks, even when laid on a not quite flat surface. Or it may be that after laying on a prepared and absolutely flat surface, the laminate creaks. As a rule, a complex of reasons is guilty of a creak, and not one, and that's what needs to be done.
Reason 1 - crooked base. In this case, the laminate will creak in the same place. There is a “pit” under the plate, and when you step on such a plate, the laminate floor sags and makes an unpleasant creaky sound.
It is strongly recommended to prepare the surface before laying, if not with a new screed, then at least with a self-leveling mixture. Measurement of differences in level will help determine the amount of deviation of the surface from the norm.
There are two ways to solve the problem of creaking due to an uneven base. If the laminate creaks in one or two places, then you can disassemble the planks in problem areas and fix the hole with a mortar, and then reassemble the laminate. If it “squeaks everywhere”, you will have to disassemble it completely and level the surface with a self-leveling screed, and then prime it, put a non-thick substrate (no more than 3 mm) and put the laminated coating again.
Reason 2 - thick substrate.
Some people think that a thicker underlay can hide the unevenness of the floor and therefore choose it for laying laminate. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite. A thick underlay does not hide the unevenness of the base and only increases the sagging of the laminate laid above it, which causes squeaking.
The problem can be solved only by changing the substrate to a thinner one. The thickness of the substrate under the laminate should be no more than 3 mm! Well, or put up with a creak and take into account previous mistakes in the future.
Reason 3 - a small gap around the perimeter. Between the wall and the laminate, it is necessary to leave a gap of at least 7 mm, and the larger the laying area, the wider the gap should be. It is needed so that after laying the laminated floor, relieve pressure on the locks and the boards can straighten to the required width. Sometimes they even leave a gap width of 2 or 3 cm, then close it with a plinth.
If the laminate began to creak due to the fact that sufficient clearance was not made, then it is necessary to remove the baseboards and reduce the width of the laminate planks extreme to the wall, thereby relieving stress and allowing it to straighten. Attach the plinth in place.
Reason 4 - increased humidity. Sometimes it happens that the laminate begins to creak after increasing the level of humidity in the room. And usually the creak is not in some separate places, but all over the floor. After stabilization of the humidity, the creaking decreases or disappears altogether.
In this case, we can simply advise you to wait for the change of seasons: wait for summer in winter, and wait for winter in summer. The cause of this creaking usually goes away on its own after a while. You can also shift the laminate in order to eliminate the cause of the irregularities.
Reason 5 - dust, sand and small debris.
Sand can get into the locks of the laminate and cause not only creaking, but also breakage of the locks. That is why it is recommended to adjust the length of the laminate planks in another room and use the vacuum cleaner more often. The crumbling screed can also become the cause of particles getting into the locks. That is why it is necessary to carefully prime the surface before laying the substrate.
It is very difficult to eliminate the cause of such a creak. It is necessary to disassemble the laminate (if you plan to use the same laminate later, it is advisable to number the planks), remove all debris and sand from the surface of the screed, then carefully prime and lay a new substrate. You can lay a plastic film between the screed and the substrate, well, to be sure.
Reason 6 - bad cheap laminate. It usually has very poor quality interlocks, it can start to creak even after all the conditions for laying the laminate are met.
To eliminate such a cause of squeaking, you can only change the entire laminate to a better one.
Reason 7 - voltage in the connecting locks. If such a slight creak occurs during the first weeks after installation, then this should not be scary. If the laminate floor is laid in compliance with all requirements and the necessary gap is left, then in the first weeks creaking is normal, as the floor straightens out, gets used to the loads and humidity, even to the geometry of the room. For some time, tension will remain in the locks.
If the squeaking does not go away for more than 3 months, you need to look for another cause of the squeaking.
As you know, the cause of squeaking is easier to prevent than to eliminate later, so these enumerations of the reasons are more important for those who are preparing to lay the laminate. It is required to follow all the recommendations of the manufacturer, even if they are completely trifling. Be sure to let the laminate lie down in the room where it will be laid. Let it acclimatize to the new temperature and humidity. In the future, this significantly reduces the risk of squeaking.
It is worth saying that all of the listed causes of laminate creaking can also be attributed to parquet boards.
In contact with
No squeak!
Laminate is a beautiful floor covering at a very affordable price. It imitates wooden floors in a very realistic way and is easy to install thanks to a modern locking system. It seems that everything is simple with a laminate ... But only at first glance. In fact, the coating is very demanding on the quality of the base. For successful installation of the laminate, it is necessary to strictly follow the laying instructions and observe almost perfect cleanliness during the work. Any negligence can cause the laminate to creak.
Even compliance with all requirements does not guarantee that the laminate will not be "naughty". A lot of people face problems: for someone, the laminate creaks, for someone it crunches, and for someone it creaks for a long time. This is frustrating and annoying.
Experienced laminate installers say the flooring is unpredictable. Sometimes it fits perfectly on an uneven base and serves the owners faithfully without any creaking. Sometimes, despite the exact observance of technology, the craftsmen are faced with a creak, crunch, “clatter”. It is not always possible to identify the real cause. Often there is a combination of causes at the root of the problem. What are the most common reasons why laminate creaks?
