Often times it is the living conditions or the subfloor - as in 70-90% of the time. There are some instances where it is the INSTALLATION (wrong tool, wrong pressure, wrong material used, wrong stuff done) and then a very, very, very small amount of the time (an inspector will find a noisy floor to be the 'wood' about once in his inspection career...it is insanely rare for it to be the "wood"). It is *possible* that it is the material itself...but not probable (yay "Stats 101", I finally used you).

Look to the LIVING conditions first (this is within your ability to check the humidity and temperature range in your home...no need to call anyone...just buy a hygrometer and check your humidity range), the subfloor SECOND and then the form of installation. Only after a bizarre set of circumstances would you look at the "wood" itself...it is intensely rare to find it to be the "real" cause.

As homeowner, you have the responsibility to keep your home a happy environment for your wood. You will check to ensure you keep your home inside these parameters:

1. Relative Humidity (RH) of 45% - 65% at all times (winter is the "dry" season because of heat sources drying out the air)

2. Temperature conditions between 55F - 85F (it really should be much closer to 65F - 80% to be deemed "normal" indoor living conditions).

If you do not have a hygrometer attached to your thermostat then you can buy one at Home Depot or any other home improvement store for about $35. This is the FIRST step. You can then ask the installers what they used to install the floor with to rule out "installation error". You can also check to see how much expansion gap was left at the walls. This may include removing baseboards to measure the expansion gaps...hardwood that has been installed "too close" to a wall or to a doorway has been known to cause noise (considered an installation error).

Good luck. Let us know what you found.

Lottsa reasons already mentioned. But first. Is this a floating floor or one that was stapled? What's the thickness? Did they pay attention to how flat the sub floor was to start with?

Thanks for the responses.

The wood is 9/16" thick and it is stapled, not floating. The creaks do seem more intense early in the morning and at night. The salesman and company owner are coming by on Friday to take a peek.

Also, it's more of a "cracking" sound than a creak!

A cracking sound can be many things...but often points a bit more to the tools used (wrong type of staple, wrong pressure on the staple gun, wrong spacing of the staples, etc). The time of day is interesting. That can be part of the "living conditions".

What is the Relative Humidity (RH) in your home? I'm sure you have already purchased a little hygrometer...so what are the readings? Temperatures in the mornings/evenings?

Can be wrong fasteners used. Unlevel substrate. No ulay used. Irregularities in the the temp/RH most likely. Sloppy milling very self only.

Thanks again. We will be talking to the folks from the company later today. Above suggestions are very helpful.

The manager came by on Friday and heard what we are talking about. He's going to contact the manufacturer's rep this week.

In the meantime, we found an interesting video on the "Snap, Crackle, Pop" theory of new wood floors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoJjFVURNP0

Thoughts?

Thanks.

rhondaj52 did you ever get to the bottom of it. We just had 7.5" French Oak hardwood installed and its crackling like crazy at all times of the day. We need help.

@Amy Littler...a wide plank (anything over 5" is considered "wide plank") often requires gluing AND nailing/stapling. I would check to see how the floor was fastened (you are listening for "...glued and stapled"). Once you have been ASSURED how it was installed, you can then move forward.

Again...everyone: check your indoor humidity readings and your temperature. Ask how long the floor was allowed to acclimate BEFORE they installed. Again you are listening for "a few weeks"....something like that.

I call BS on any installer/GC who thinks acclimation isn't needed for wood. Too many times we have seen "improper acclimation" as the thing that brings in an inspector/complaint.

Start with the basics...and move forward.

Hurst Hardwood said that their 7.5" prefinished 5/8' engineered European French Oak hardwood only requires nailing, not glueing. I made sure to ask before we installed. Thanks

I spoke with the installer today. He said that the flooring was cleat nailed with 1 3/4" cleats, about every 4 inches. I don't think it is the hardwood itself. When the old flooring was pulled up and discarded my husband, myself and the installer all said we couldn't believe how good of shape the subfloors were in...were they level? Not sure, but they looked great.

What was the subfloor? OSB or smooth-side-up subfloor grade plywood? Some of the noisiest things in the house are nails shot into wood. If the wood moves, it rubs against the nails. That creates a squeaking noise. OSB makes this worse. An unlevel subfloor makes this worse (more movement possible because it isn't flat). Cleats normally have less chance of making noise....but that is never an assurance that it won't/can't happen.

Failure to acclimate appropriately is also a thing that will cause wood to move = possibility to make noise.

We recently had 5” wide engineered wood flooring installed and it creeks throughout every time you walk on it. Recently the installer took up one of the planks and it was discovered that the center of the plank was not making contact with the under lament or sub floor.
Do you think this is why the floor is creaking when you walk on it? Thank you.

Wide planks should be acclimated to within 2% of sub-floor moisture level to minimize expanding and contracting, between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit and 30-50% relative humidity. Nominal is 70 degrees at 40%, which is the pivotal point. The expansion gap should be the same thickness as the flooring, 5/8" thick = 5/8" expansion gap.

Installer took a big risk just nailing a 5/8"x 7 1/2" wide engineered plank. A nailing schedule at 4" apart will cause the planks to crown. The installation would benefit from a full spread, troweled on glue.

Also, the installer might not have used the recommended underlayment to meet the mfg nail down installation requirements. Instead went with experience. The installer is most likely at fault here.

I installed 5" wide wood engineer Ed flooring in my daughter's room. I nailed over the recommended moisture barrier by manf recommendations. But I agree with all the info here. Nail down only is not a good installation method. I am going to fix it when I do the rest of the floor. I wrote off her room because she is 6 and has Already damaged.some of it. I'll fix her room.later. What glue do you recommend?

Use a silane base polymer flooring adhesive

Thank you. I really appreciate the advise

@G & S Floor Service I just had new 7 1/2" wide planks engineered hardwood installed. It was nailed down on the first floor and there's a basement underneath. I heard squeaks on the same spot on some days but other days no matter how hard I pressed on it I couldn't hear the squeak. Is it due to the temperature all mentioned above? Is it normal for new floors to squeak? My installer said it could be due to the joist attachment in the basement. Do all hardwood floors squeak with temperature change? Other than watching humidity, any other suggestions to minimize squeaks without having to remove the planks in that area and add flooring adhesive.

There are several possible causes for floor squeaks.

Manufacturing:

Millwork - loose tongue and groove connecting system will allow the flooring to move causing squeaks. Adding face nails will stop the squeaking or injecting adhesive to the underside.

Installer:

Missed Fastener - Sometime the installers forget to reload their tool or the spacing of the nails are too far apart. Adding face nails or injecting glue will help.

Too much force - Installing the fasteners with too much force causing bowing/crowning.

Not following the manufactures recommended installation process. - Your flooring may require a full spread of adhesive and a few nails to assist as a fastener. Or the installation method is floating only with a edge gluing system. Both will help keep the floor boards in it's free state - no bowing/crowning.

Living condition:

Humidity change. You will need to monitor the humidity and see which is causing the squeak. Too much or too little will both cause squeaking. Too little the floor boards dry out and are loose. Too much and the middle of the planks bows up.

Subfloor system:

Joist - If, you have loose joist, you will need to install joist hangers to support the ends or install cross braces to the middle of the joist to prevent twist. That will stiffen up your subfloor and reduce movement. Cracked joist will need to be repaired or supported.

Subfloor panels - for loose subfloor panels or boards. You can apply spray foam adhesive to fill voids between joist and panels.

What does the flooring manufacture recommend for a approved installation method? How thick is your flooring? Can you post photos of the problem area?