Are your floors squeaking? They can be saying one of many things and it is always a good reminder to check the humidity levels in your home when they do. Here’s some information about those squeaky floors for you to look at, download, share, or pass on to a friend or client with squeaky floors.
About the Author: Caleb Unruh
Caleb Unruh has spent the past ten years working in various roles for The Master’s Craft, and currently serves as the Marketing Manager. He has helped developed the Tradewinds Flooring brand of prefinished hardwood flooring, and worked to create many technical and sales resources for anyone involved with selling wood flooring and related supplies. He has a wonderful wife, and five kids at home and enjoys family time, running, and travel.
Articles Written by Caleb Unruh
5 Things Your Floor Says When It Squeaks
It’s the moment we’ve been waiting for since that first triple digit day – fall! That glorious time when there’s a nip in the air, we pull out the jackets, keep the coffee pot running, and use inordinate amounts of nutmeg and cloves in our treats. And sometimes begin to hear a squeaky wood floor in …
Rubber Mallets and Engineered Wood Flooring
I’ve recently handled a complaint regarding the uses of rubber mallets while installing engineered wood flooring. The dealer stated that it was industry standard to use a rubber mallet to install engineered wood flooring. Having been an installer for many years, I have used a rubber mallet on several engineered wood floors during installation over …
Should I worry about Formaldehyde?
Recent news about the formaldehyde levels in laminate flooring have caused some to have more questions about what formaldehyde is, and whether or not it is something to be concerned about in our flooring. The short answer is no. All our products exceed the California Air Resource Board (CARB) standards for formaldehyde emissions, and for many …
The Slab Truth
Even under the best conditions, there are few things more aggravating to a new homeowner than moisture problems in the home. Most consumers never really think about this until a problem has arisen. Your realtor would likely not be the one to point out issues with the poor grade of property or existing drainage issues. Problems such …
A New Maple Court in Mineral Wells
Down in Texas there is a beautiful maple court where kids can hang out and learn to play and shoot some hoops. The vision for the Paul Laurence Dunbar gym floor began with former teacher Clarence Holliman and was completed by wood flooring pros. Mr. Holliman had a vision to see the school gymnasium restored …
How to Prevent Wood Floor Gaps
Wood floor gaps happen, but what exactly is a normal movement of wood and what isn’t? We usually see gaps show up in wood flooring during the wintertime. As the temperature drops and the need to warm our home increases, the relative humidity (RH) in our home lowers. Decreased RH reduces the moisture content in …
Troubleshooting Your Humidifier
Maintaining your wood floors also means knowing a little about humidifier maintenance. Wine, cigars and wood: three very expensive items in your home that require very specific environments to stay in tip-top shape. A grand piano, essentially a fine piece of wood work, will go out or tune or have a damaged exterior with the …
Fix the Dry: Getting the Right Humidifier
If you haven’t noticed, the issue of relevant humidity (RH) is a big deal when it comes to wood flooring. When floors squeak and creak it’s usually a result of movement caused by a low RH. Installation problems are also very prevalent when the RH is off in a home. Remember my story about installing …
Why Should I Buy A Humidifier?
In most areas of the U.S., it is just not possible to keep indoor relative humidity levels where they need to be for wood flooring without a whole home humidifier. If you’re seeing gaps and hearing squeaks in the colder months, it is probably because the RH levels in your home are not where they …