In the last two weeks or so, we have noticed random popping/cracking noises, presumably coming from our hardwood floors. This can occur at any time, day or night (whether the floor is being walked upon or not), but sometimes coinciding with foot traffic. The intensity of the noise varies from hardly noticeable to (occasionally) loud enough to wake us. We get intermittent fog here, but lately the humidity has been extremely low (~10% to 20%) and daytime temperatures high (90 – 100 degrees), both unusual for this time of the year. As I am writing this, it occurs to me that I have not heard these sounds at all since I have been home from work (between 4:00 and 8:00pm today).
Our 5-year old home was built by a reputable contractor and the workmanship was impeccable. It has a very substantial grade-beam foundation with caissons, and absolutely no signs of settling. The floor is red oak, 3 1/4″ strip flooring, over a plywood subfloor and TrussJoists, with a standard urethane finish. The maximum run of flooring (in one hallway) is about 42 feet in length.
These sounds are quite different from the normal groaning and creaking that appears as a new home begins to age. The only theory I can come up with is that the normally resilient urethane film “bridges” across the joints are being broken (cracked) by the excessive shrinkage of the flooring, resulting in a larger than normal gap between the tongue of one board and the groove of its neighbor. Does anyone have any experience with this phenomenon or any theory (either supporting mine or alternatives)? BTW, this is definitely not earthquake related.
Replies
You do know that caissons are subject to occasional rolling...usually when the associated artillery piece is being moved.
I'm not kidding. It should be in your contract.
i think you have hit the problem on target.the floor is shrinking and the urethane is "snapping". this happen on my floor the first 2 winters,i guess it finally gets all apart and thats the end of it. as soon as the humidity gets higher it will clos back up. larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
I think it is the floor. You could use a humidifier but then you need to keep the windows closed.