Causes of Cracking & Popping of Stapled Hardwood Flooring
Stapled hardwood floors are common flooring being installed in residential homes. A hardwood floor is a good flooring material because it is elastic, flexible and can expand as well as contract with the weather conditions. Problems, such as popping and cracking, do develop with hardwood flooring. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Improper Installation
-
One of the most common causes of a popping or cracking hardwood floor is improper installation. Thousands of staples are used when installing a hardwood floor, but when a contractor does not use enough staples or installs the staples too far apart, the floor loosens and begins to pop or squeak. A staple is placed in the tongue of the hardwood floor every 6 inches to ensure this problem does on occur.
Weak Sub-floor
-
Sub-flooring is generally 3/4- to 1-inch thick to ensure that it is strong enough to hold the hardwood floor and the weight of items placed on the flooring. Weak sub-flooring causes the staples to pull away from the flooring and causes the flooring to crack, pop, squeak or separate. Before installing hardwood flooring make sure the sub-flooring is thick enough to handle the weight of the wood and the items placed on the floor.
-
Floor Adhesive
-
Floor adhesive is a glue that sticks the hardwood floor to the sub-flooring. This is another material used to secure the hardwood floor along with the staples. The wrong floor adhesive or not using enough floor adhesive causes the hardwood floor to pop and crack at the places that are not sticking to the sub-floor. The right type of floor adhesive prevents a floor from popping or cracking. A professional flooring installer will know what type of floor adhesive to use and how much is required to glue the hardwood floor down properly.
Moisture
-
A hardwood floor that has gotten wet or flooded begins to crack and pop because of moisture infection. This causes the hardwood floor to expand and shrink more than expected, which creates a cracking and a popping noise at the damaged area. The hardwood floor will also warp. The damaged section is removed and new hardwood flooring is installed to correct this problem.
Foundation Settling
-
The foundation of a home will settle over time. This settling of the foundation causes excessive movement in the sub-floor and the hardwood floor. The movement separates the hardwood floor from the sub-floor, creating a crack and then the hardwood floor begins to pop or squeak in the separated area. If the entire floor is popping or cracking, replacement of the entire hardwood flooring material is required.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images
