Creaking engineered wood with soundproofing underlay

[Dan Rowland]

Hey peopleses,

I'm sorry for asking, I have Googled this loads and haven't found a good answer.

I have recently installed engineered wood floor over a padded acoustic underlay. This was recommended to me by the shop (UK Flooring Direct) as I'm using it upstairs.

Once installed though, because the underlay is soft and padded, there is movement in the floorboard, resulting in them creaking.

Do you know if there is something I can do to reduce this? Talcum powder or solvent between the boards (I'm joking of course)?

The flooring is: Mega Deal Engineered European Rustic Oak Flooring 14mm x 130mm Natural Lacquered
The underlay is : Cushion Acoustic Gold Wood Flooring Underlay

Any help would be gratefully received!

Thank you,
Dan

 

[dazlight]

Is the sub floor level ?

 

[Dan Rowland]

Yes the sub-floor is level, and there is plenty of expansion gap, although I don't really think it's relevant.
Having an uneven sub-floor causes the wooden floor to 'bounce' when you walk on it, and having no expansion gap can cause the wooden floor to bow up when it expands, which also makes it 'bounce'.
In my case, the floor is floating, and I have a cushioned underlay which causes the wooden floor to bounce anyway. It's that that causes the movement.
So I can't stop the wood from moving, it does that by design, I need to stop it creaking when it does move.....

Thank you so much for your help so far, I would be so happy and grateful if I could resolve this

 

[dazlight]

I asked if the floor was level and that can cause movement so that’s why it’s relevant.

For me it shouldn’t be a underlay with any give in it. That underlay is too thick imo. We only use Timbermate excel on wood which is 3.6mm and firm.

The creaking is usually caused by rubbing of a click engineered wood with some movement. Is it click or T&G

one way to resolve would be uplift and refit using wood glue on the joints.

 

[Dan Rowland]

Thank you so much for helping me out with this!
The wood is click-lock.
The underlay I'm using definitely has give in it, which is causing the movement. I did also email the shop where I bought it, but of course they didn't reply. Based on what I said, do you think they mis-sold it to me?

 

[dazlight]

Wood shouldn’t bounce by design. I’m not a fan of the engineered clicks unless glued down.
I’d say the underlay is wrong as you want to movement. Not a fan of online company’s as no problem solving by them.