Question:
Thanks for all the information.
I live in the mountains and it’s quite dry here (25% at times) but the house is 4 yrs old and it just started making noises. I’m afraid its from water (shoes) or the wrong floor cleaner. I talked to a local floor installer and he said to drill a small hole in the board and inject glue that you can buy in a syringe………what do you think of that approach?
Thanx again, I’ll make sure I pass your name around to the suppliers. My brother in law runs a major lumberyard in Salt Lake.
Answer:
Dear Dennis
No, follow my instructions to the letter. I have done all these methods many times with good results. You should NEVER, NEVER, NEVER glue down any part of a nail down floor. The strips need to move seasonally, and the glue (if it even works) will create a dead spot in the floor, which will stop this natural movement. When the floor does gain some moisture during a long cooking session, or unusually damp weather, the boards might swell against this dead spot and buckle.
I only use this injection method for glued down parquet and laminated wood floors. Think about all the dirt and dust under your floor, how is the glue going to sick, and dry in this space ? If he uses a water based glue it may further swell the wood as it dries. Your local guy may be misleading you, have him give some references of successful glue jobs. Be sure to read my article about hiring contractors in the Hardwood Authority section of this site. And please read my floor maintenance article in the Floored News section. You should be re-coating this floor every 2-4 years in this heavy use area.
Oh, and thank you for passing my name around.
As always your Most humble servant, Joseph, the Wood Floor Doctor.