How to eliminate the creak of parquet

Despite the fact that the market offers a huge selection of floor coverings, the good old parquet remains very popular. With a large number of advantages, among which the most important is environmental friendliness, it has one serious drawback. Over time, the planks become loose, and a characteristic wooden creak appears.

Besides the fact that this sound is very annoying, it is sure to notify all family members about your movement. This is sometimes very inappropriate, especially at night. Before you think about changing the cover, it may be worth trying to eliminate the creak yourself. In some cases, this is not at all difficult.

Causes of squeaking of parquet

Natural wood, from which parquet is made, tends to dry out over time. That is why creaking is considered an integral attribute of old wooden floors. However, for its appearance, the coating does not have to last a long time. There are many more reasons for its occurrence.

REFERENCE. The absence of chemical additives that could prevent the deformation of the planks has a decisive influence on the appearance of unpleasant sounds in the old parquet floor.

The main reasons for the creak, in addition to dried planks, include:

  • scrapping of a groove of fastening of details (crest);
  • loosening of nails and screws;
  • offset lag (bars to which the strips are nailed).

Poor installation of the floor often causes sounds when walking. In the absence or insufficiently large gap (at least 10 mm necessary) between the wall and the parquet, the tree is deformed when expanded.

Besides, the material is very sensitive to operating conditions. Too high humidity or inappropriate temperature quickly lead to unpleasant consequences.

How to eliminate the creak of parquet

If the flooring creaks, the condition of the coating may be very poor. In this case, you have to resort to a radical method - its complete replacement. But this will entail significant financial costs and is not always the only way out.

Most often, the creak is local in nature. In such situation it is quite simple to repair the problem areas, and the parquet will still serve for a considerable period.

First, you need to identify areas requiring restoration. After a careful tour of the entire floor, it is necessary to mark the areas with chalk. Before carrying out repairs, the cause of the creak should be determined. If deformed or displaced parts are not visible, then the problem is not in them, but in an uneven floor or in shifted beams.

Having determined the cause of the creak, you can proceed with the restoration of the floor using one of the methods described below.

Closing small cracks

If cracks have formed between the parts of the parquet, you can get rid of them using putty on wood. The color you need to choose the appropriate.

Casein glue with the addition of sawdust will also help in this situation. The final step will be the processing of these places with sandpaper and coating the surface with varnish.

ATTENTION! Crack repairing will solve the problem for a short time. For a quality repair, you will need to find and eliminate the cause of their appearance.

Replacing Laths

Eliminating squeaking by replacing the die is a more cardinal method, which should be resorted to in the case of large slots.

This is done in this order.

  • Remove the damaged part.pre-splitting it. To do this, use a chisel and a hammer.
  • Clear the place sharp tool and sandpaper.
  • Prepare a new bar. To do this, you will have to get rid of the crest by cutting it exactly.
  • Fill the cavity with suitable glue.. You can use heated bituminous mastic.
  • Install a new die, press it down with a load and let dry.
  • Scrape off excess glue and varnish the floor.

If it is necessary to replace several parts, it is better to do this by first connecting them together. You need to install them in place making sure that they are perfect in size.

Bonding parquet to the base

If the cause of the squeak is a section that has fallen behind the base for any reason, You can use the method of pouring glue under it.

  • For this drill holes in the creaking plate at a distance of about 15 cm.
  • To avoid severe glue contamination, glue these areas with masking tape.
  • After with a syringe, insert the adhesive into the holes.
  • Press the repaired area with gravity and allow to dry.
  • Remove the remaining glue and masking tape, cover the holes with wax or putty, cover the area with varnish.

Fastening problem areas with screws

Sometimes nails, which are often used to connect parquet dies to logs, can loosen. In this case, in order to further strengthen the details and get rid of the creak, a good solution would be to use self-tapping screws. The problem here may be the difficulty of determining where the beam is.

For fastening, it is necessary to drill holes in the floor and the bar with a drill. Connect the parts with screws. The planks fixed in this way will hold much more reliably and remain silent for longer than on nails.

Pouring cement under plywood

Sometimes during the installation of the floor workers neglect the rules and do not level the concrete with a screed. Plywood or fiberboard installed on an uneven surface over time gives a drawdown and causes squeaks.

If the unpleasant noise arises due to the substrate peeled off from the concrete floor, there is the option of pouring cement slurry. This will fix the part and save you from annoying sound.

To do this, follow these steps.

  • Remove several parquet strips at the repair site.
  • Drill a hole in the plywood to fill the mortar. A diameter of 2 cm will be enough.
  • Prepare a liquid solution. The ratio of cement to water is 1: 1.
  • Pour into the hole until the cavity is full.
  • Allow to dry (at least 24 hours).
  • Reinstall the removed planks.

Removing part of the parquet for pouring is optional. Instead, you can drill holes directly in the dies. After completion of the work, they will have to be putty coated and varnished.

What to do to prevent parquet from creaking

So that the parquet floor lasts a long time without making unpleasant noises, First of all, you need to take care of the quality of the materials from which it will be made. Not every tree will equally serve as a floor covering. The best for these purposes are maple, beech, oak, wenge, Brazil nut, ash, teak. Do not forget about high-quality glue and good self-tapping screws for fastening.

At the stage of laying the floor, the following rules must be observed.

  • Make sure that the surface on which the parquet is laid is perfectly even.
  • Pay attention to the presence of temperature gaps between the floor and walls (at least 1 cm).
  • Do not forget about the humidity of the wood used. If it is too high, the parquet will dry out and squeaks will appear very soon.

If possible, you should entrust this work to professionals who know all the installation rules and will monitor their compliance.

During operation, monitor the temperature and humidity in the room.

These are the basic rules, adhering to which can significantly extend the life of the coating. The tree does not like too low or high temperatures, as well as high humidity. You can also use special products for parquet care, which will maintain coverage for many years.

Watch the video: Fix your squeaky floors with WD-40! (March 2024).

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