Very creaky floorboards in new extension

tired_dad

Hi,
Got a storey extension built. P5 chipboard flooring upstairs in a large room 7x5m.

It's been glued and screwed down +++ yet squeaks and creaks a lot when walking on it.

Any ideas? Builder been round and put more glue and screws but still noisy.

The underlay and carpet are not installed yet so we are walking on small off cuts of old carpet.

Builder is hoping it just quietness down with use as the whole construction settles.

Thoughts welcome

cyclonebri1

If you were doing this for yourself you(I) would glue the flooring and nail it. But, given it's screwed down there is a suggestion that the support, ie, the joists, are not completely supportive, :A:A

Fat_Walt

If were glued down on installation, how come he's been able to put more glue down?

Marktheshark

Have they used chipboard screws ?
They do creak, daft as the name suggest they are not the quietest thing to screw a floor down with

tired_dad

I think the boards are screwed down and they glued the T&G.

You think they should try different screws? which ones?

Thanks

brightontraveller

If you assume the floor has been secured to correct depth, using correct size, type of fastener and glued correctly and joist themselves are sufficient then very often with a new build its down to moisture movement, loss of dimension in the joists themselves etc not uncommon at all .

Below link gives a cause and cure.

http://www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk/march2014/help1.html

leveller2911

I've seen this dozens of times over the years and in most cases the problem is when they screw the floor down they don't drill a pilot/clearance hole for the screw in the flooring. So when they start screwing in the screw with a cordless it does through the flooring and when it hits the joist it starts rising the flooring upwards untill it finally gets enough downward force for the screw to start going into the joist. Then when they screw it fully down and the screw then countersinks in the top of the chipboard flooring they stop screwing thinking the flooring is fully down on the joist...Which it isn't because when people walk on it there is still a small gap between the underside of the flooring and the top of the floor joist so they squeek.

Solution is to take out the screws around the area affected ,drill a hole slightly bigger in diameter than the screw thread but only in the flooring (not the joists) and then re fix the screws, larger headed screw may also help.

prowla

I've hear that talcum powder in the (tongue & groove?) gaps between the boards can help.

I tried it and I'm not sure it did, though.

missile

prowla wrote: »

I've hear that talcum powder in the (tongue & groove?) gaps between the boards can help.

I tried it and I'm not sure it did, though.

That is a cowboy builders trick. It works for a little while.

tired_dad

saw these on screwfix

http://www.screwfix.com/p/spax-flooring-screws-4-5-x-60mm-pack-of-300/88716

I like the idea of the pilot hole

Furts

Squeaky floors happen in numerous new homes. An unfortunate fact of life. Curing them can be troublesome and inconvenient.

A fundamental of building is this should not occur. Another fundamental is a floor can be fine when it is built but the problems occur after the home dries out, shrinks and settles. Say 6 months or up to two ears for this. This means if a problem exists now, it will only get worse.

The good news is good carpet and good underlay can muffle the sounds in the bedrooms. The bad news is the ceilings below amplify cracking noises.

It sounds like your builder is not knowledgable, or not a good builder, or is feeding you nonsense with the "hoping it will settle down" story.