Bouncy Laminate

Saver-upper

We have had a laminate floor newly (professionally) installed, and we have an area near the middle ,that is "bouncy" and creaks a bit when you walk on it.

Apart from being a bit annoying to walk over,is this a problem (or will it cause problems later) and is it fixable?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Dan-Dan

pretty normal on a suspended wooden floor

Kiran

Did you have the skirtings removed or is there trim round the outside? It sounds like there isn't enough of an expansion gap round the outside. I assume it's a floating floor?

Saver-upper

Don't think its "floating", it was laid on 3.6mm rubber underlay, directly onto a concrete floor.
Skirting boards were put down after (new extension).

Reece_

It's a floating floor as it's not glued or otherwise secured to the sub floor.
Some bounce to some extent is normal as the floor isn't secured directly down, however there's a difference between what would be acceptable movement and what's not.
Laminate, especially cheaper ranges don't cope too well with any noticeable lumps and bumps in the sub floor, this could cause excessive bounce and this would probably eventually break the joint between adjoining boards.
As already mentioned the other thing could be a lack of expansion gap, and the floors expanded and started bucking.
Without seeing it , it would be anyones guess as to if the bounce is a problem or not and what's causing it if it were a problem.

Silver-Surfer_2

Saver-upper wrote: »

Don't think its "floating", it was laid on 3.6mm rubber underlay, directly onto a concrete floor.
Skirting boards were put down after (new extension).

Sounds like a floating floor.

Did you check for level before it was laid?

How big was the expansion gap around the edges before the skirting was put on?

What's happening at the doorways?

shaun_from_Africa

As the OP stated that the floor was professionally laid, I would have hoped that the installers checked the levelling of the surface and ensured that there was enough of an expansion gap at the edges.

Silver-Surfer_2

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

As the OP stated that the floor was professionally laid, I would have hoped that the installers checked the levelling of the surface and ensured that there was enough of an expansion gap at the edges.

I wouldn't bet on it. I've just taken one out. It was laid with the skirting in place and a moulding covering the expansion gaps, which in places were touching the skirting. The biggest laugh was the installer had proudly writing the companies details, laid by ....... on the underlay. :rotfl:

Saver-upper

Right.I have just googled "floating floors" and "expansion gaps" .

The kitchen that the laminate is on,is part of a brand new extension.The floor had been screeded (there's a word I do know!:o).Then the underlay and laminate were put down,then the skirting boards.
The floor area is large (45sq metres).There is an island in the middle of it,so don't know if that changes things a bit.With regards to expansion gap,the laminate goes underneath the kick boards,but not as far as the wall-plenty of room for expansion that way.There was also a gap left on the other " borders " of the kithcen,though these have now been covered by the skirting boards.
I wonder what can be done. If I phone up the shop (or the fitter himself,self- employed,though allocated to the job by the shop),is it fixable,or just something to learn to live with?
Thank you everyone for all your help so far.

Silver-Surfer_2

How long was the screed left before the floor was laid?

Is there a polythene sheet between the screed and underlay?

If you put a straight edge, long sprit level or similar across the bouncy part is it level, higher or lower than the rest of the floor?

Saver-upper

Three weeks between screeding and floor laying.
No sheet.
Off to find a spirit level.........