Hey everyone! My husband and I bought a ranch-style house last year that's only 6 years old. During our initial tour, we noticed a couple of squeaky spots in the hallway, but thought nothing major of it. Now that we've moved in, the main floor, which has vinyl plank flooring (LVP) installed just a month before we took ownership, has around 10+ squeaky spots and some popping noises when we walk on it. It really stands out in our primary bedroom where we feel some high and low spots too. Also, there were already a few cracked tiles in the primary bathroom when we bought the house, and now we hear more popping noises from loose tiles, especially when walking around. We live in MN, and it seems like the issues popped up after a dry winter, making me wonder about the subfloor. Initially, we thought we could just let it sit for a while since everything is practically new, but now it's becoming a real concern. Is it time to hire a contractor, or are there any temporary fixes we can look into? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
It sounds like you've got a few issues going on here. From my experience in flooring and home restoration, LVP can indeed expand and contract with changes in humidity. The squeaks and pops may suggest that the subfloor wasn’t leveled properly or that the expansion gaps weren’t sufficient, which can lead to all these annoying noises. Unfortunately, if that’s the case, the proper fix would likely involve ripping out the floors and starting over. Regarding the tiles, using a moisture meter to check for leaks could be a good idea to rule that out. Good luck!
That makes sense, especially with all the popping! Do you think it’s worth getting a flooring specialist in to look before making any big decisions?
You're probably going to want to contact a contractor to take a look at this situation. It definitely seems like the subfloor didn’t get the attention it needed before the new flooring went in. The popping noises from the tiles are definitely a sign something's off since tile needs a solid base to sit on. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do temporarily except maybe place some rugs to cover up the sound. It's definitely better to address these issues sooner rather than later before things get worse, which could lead to higher costs.
Thanks for the input! We really don't want it to progress further. It sounds like reaching out in the winter is our best bet.
Yeah, tackle it sooner! It might feel like a lot now, but it'll save you stress in the long run.
Absolutely! I think we might look for a specific flooring installer next.