Laminate creaks - what to do indiscriminately?

The most popular flooring of our time is laminate flooring. It is relatively inexpensive in comparison with natural wood parquet, imitates natural wood and is incredibly easy to install. The castle-type laminate can be laid on the floor by any skilled host. However, no matter how carefully you choose the laminate, it happens that it starts to creak. In this article you will find out if a laminate creaks - what to do. Without analyzing the coverage, you can solve the problem of how exactly - now we will tell.

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Laminate creak causes

Laminate creaking may depend on a number of specific factors. Having determined the location of the creak and knowing the features of the repairs made in your apartment, the quality of laying the laminate, you can identify the reasons, and based on the reasons, you will know how to eliminate the creak of the laminate.

Let us consider in more detail each situation.

Uneven floor screed

Laying a laminate requires a perfectly flat floor surface. The screed should be of high quality, the divergence in height should not exceed 2 mm in an area of ​​2 square meters. The presence of cavities and elevations on the floor surface over time will lead to the fact that the laminate boards under the influence of gravity begin to deform in these places. The load will be distributed unevenly and this will lead to a creak of the laminate.

Important! A sign of an uneven screed is that the laminate creaks only in certain places, and not over its entire surface.

Wrong thickness of the substrate for the laminate

An integral stage of laying a laminate is the installation of a substrate under it. It is of various types, it differs in the material of manufacture, method of laying and thickness. Many people think that the thicker the substrate, the better it will smooth out existing unevennesses in the floor.

However, this is not at all true. If you have discrepancies in the height of the subfloor, then, laying a thick substrate on it, you increase the height of the sag of the laminate over the surface.

Important! The height of the substrate used when laying the flooring should ideally not exceed 3 mm.

The key to proper installation of the flooring is a perfectly even floor and the right thickness of the substrate. If the laminate creaks only in certain places, remember or find out which substrate was used to lay it. So you confirm or exclude this creaking reason.

Lack of clearance between laminate and wall

The technology for laying a laminated board implies a gap between the wall and the floor. Experts argue that the minimum required clearance should be 1 centimeter, and if the floor covering occupies a large area, the recommended clearance is increased to 2-3 centimeters.

Important! Such a gap is necessary so that in the process of expansion from increasing humidity and temperature changes, the board has a place for movement. In the absence of a gap, the laminate simply rests against the wall and begins to creak from the load.

A characteristic feature of this type of squeak is its localization at the walls.

The ingress of dirt and dust under the laminate during installation

Paving works must be carried out in complete cleanliness. Dust and particles of concrete, screed, shavings and small pieces resulting from sawing boards of the laminate under the floor covering and on its locks are not allowed.

Screed has the property of destruction under the influence of loads. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to use a primer as the final stage of leveling the floor. The primer will strengthen the coating and glue all the small particles that are on it. Such a floor will stop dusting.

Important! Experts recommend all dirty work on cutting boards to be carried out in a separate room, if necessary, use a vacuum cleaner. Boards must be clean, especially their castle part.

A characteristic sign of the presence of dust and debris under and between the planks of the laminate is considered to be a kind of crunch and creak, similar to that which is formed from the friction of sand grains against each other. By listening, you can easily recognize it.

Constant humidity changes in the room

For the proper operation of the laminate, manufacturers recommend maintaining the optimum temperature and humidity in the room. Laminate flooring tends to expand with increasing humidity. Subsequently, the boards begin to press against each other. A characteristic crackle appears and the laminate creaks over the entire surface.

Important! This problem is especially relevant in the offseason, when the humidity in the street rises. If it is not possible to adjust the humidity and temperature in the room, then you should wait for the change in climatic conditions on the street. In dry and warm weather, the creak goes away by itself. If possible, it is best to maintain the right indoor climate.

The locking voltage of the coating, the process of its adaptation

It is worth knowing that any high-quality laminate is able to adapt to the shape and size of the room. Over time, it occupies an optimal position, taking into account permissible differences in the height of the floor.

Important! If you are sure of the quality of the coating and compliance with all the technologies for its installation, it is worth giving him time to take his position. As a rule, such a creak leaves a few months after installation.

Cheap low-quality laminate

If you purchased a cheap laminate of unverified quality, an unknown manufacturer, then there are no guarantees in observing all the technologies in its production.

Often, Chinese laminate is made from low-quality materials, it is not ideally pressed, low-quality glue is used when gluing it. Its boards are uneven, with a slight deformation even before laying. It is not surprising that such a laminate makes unpleasant sounds after laying and you have a question: why does the laminate creak when walking? To avoid such issues, you should buy goods from trusted manufacturers and trust the repair and its installation exclusively to true professionals.

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How to eliminate creak of a floor covering without its analysis?

Of course, many of the causes of creaking laminate flooring can be eliminated only by disassembling it. This is important if a thick substrate was laid, the laminate was laid on a too uneven draft floor, and when it was laid, the work was far from being completely clean. In these cases, no matter how you wish, you will have to disassemble the laminate and eliminate the existing cause of the creak.

However, it is worth knowing how to eliminate the creak of the laminate without disassembling. Here are some very helpful troubleshooting tips to help get rid of the unpleasant sounds that occur when moving around the floor:

• If the floor creaks near the walls, it is necessary to remove the baseboard, if possible, cut off the edges of the laminate with a knife for cutting drywall, thereby increasing the gap. If this manipulation is not possible, then it is necessary to fill the gaps between the wall and the ends of the boards, mounting foam or ordinary PVA glue.
• If the floor creaks only in certain places, then in the cracks located in the creaking area, it is necessary to pour the melted paraffin from the candle. It will not be superfluous to fill all the gaps with hot wax.

Important! Wax must be applied with a spatula made of plastic, you can use a regular plastic card.

• One of the options for eliminating local squeaking is pouring PVA glue into the drilled holes. A hole with a diameter of about half a centimeter is drilled in the board. Using a syringe, glue is poured into it.While the glue is drying, it is better to exclude movement in the area being repaired. After complete drying, it is necessary to close the hole that you drilled. To do this, you need to use grout for the laminate or special putty on wood, choosing the most similar color to the color of the flooring.
• Some experts recommend pouring a little oil into the drilled holes. Holes must be repaired in a way you already know.
• How to eliminate the creak of a laminate indiscriminately if characteristic sounds occur as a result of a humidity drop in the room? To do this, it is necessary to install temperature controllers on the heating batteries, get a humidifier to maintain the same humidity. If it is necessary to drain too humid air in the room, you can purchase and install air conditioning - most models are equipped with a function of air drying. If you do not plan to purchase an air conditioner, then you can use an electric heater to drain the air.
• In order for the laminate to adapt well to your room and floor, you must give it the opportunity to lie in the room before laying. If this is possible, then you need to bring it into the house or apartment being repaired a couple of months before installation. So it adapts to climatic conditions much faster.
• After laying the laminate, let it settle. Allocate at least a couple of weeks so that he will be at rest without the installation of furniture and active walking on it. If possible, purchase not very heavy furniture.

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How to prevent creaking?

As in everything else, the creaking of a laminate is better to prevent than to allow its appearance. The following guidelines will help you enjoy your flooring and prevent unpleasant sounds:

• To purchase only a high-quality laminate of a class corresponding to the loads that will arise during its operation. Collect reviews about the brand and series of the selected flooring. And most importantly - do not save on such an important purchase.
• Qualitatively carry out preparatory work, when leveling the floor, use the bulk floor technique - it gives the most even surface.
• Do not forget about the primer stage of the floor. Thoroughly clean the room before laying the boards and make laying completely clean.
• Use a rigid, high-quality substrate of optimal thickness.
• Give the laminate the opportunity to adapt to the climatic conditions of the room.
• Observe the installation technology, leaving the necessary clearance near the walls, carefully lock the locks during installation.
• Maintain a stable level of humidity and temperature in the room.
• Entrust all work to professionals.

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Stock footage

Of course, the situation when the laminate creaks cannot be called pleasant. This can annoy residents quite a bit. In order to prevent this from happening, take seriously the issue of choosing a laminate and laying it. If the problem still appears, do not despair. Now you know how to eliminate the creak of the laminate without disassembling, and, perhaps, the knowledge gained will help you eliminate this trouble.