Should my hardwood floors be nailed to the subfloor in my condo?

Question

the structure of the building and my condominium was built this year. I would say about 10% of the floor space of my hardwood floors make a creaking sound when I step on it. I know subfloors can't be perfectly flat due to the plywood materials so I think what's happening is there is airspace between the hardwood floors and the subfloor. Then as I walk on it, I'm pushing down on the hardwood floors to the subfloor. I think if my hardwood floors were nailed to the subfloor I wouldn't be hearing this sound. So, before I make a stink about this finding out if they did indeed take a shortcut not nailing down my hardwood floors, I would like to know if I have a good case that I would like my hardwood floors nailed down.

Answer 1

If you have wooden subfloors, then the best install practice is to nail them down. However, most installers will put down tar paper (like they use under roofing shingles) over the subfloor and under your wood floor. That stops the squeaking noise. The noise is in fact caused by the 2 floors rubbing so my guess is they didnt apply a tar paper barrier 1st or they did not use enough nails when they were putting your floor down. Call 1-800-FLOORING with questions. It is lumber liquidators (used to work there) and they will be able to help you.

Answer 2

First off, the subfloor should be pretty much perfectly flat. It should not have big curves or dips. Secondly, are you talking about real wood flooring or laminate/Pergo type flooring? Laminate/Pergo style flooring usually "floats", meaning it is not glued or nailed. This is normal and should not result in creaks or noise. If it is true hard wood flooring, it should be nailed, unless it is applied to an above-grade concrete floor. Then it is glued.

When real wood is installed, it is "tongue in groove", which means it interlocks. This makes it very sturdy and, unless you have some huge dips in your subfloor....and I mean large, it is very unlikely that the wood floor is moving at all. It is possible, especially if you are using a thickness less than 3/4 of an inch, which is pretty much the standard thickness, but unlikely.

I think your real problem is with the subfloor....the creaking you hear is probably where the subfloor is not nailed/glued to the joists properly.

Answer 3

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