Getting a wood flooring inspector to view the installation of your laminate might be a bit of over kill (which is what the installer is hoping you realize and leave it alone).

www.nwfa.org

You can find a Certified Pro in your area to come in and view your floor. You will need the following information to offer the Inspector:

1. Amount of acclimation the floor received BEFORE being installed (how long did it sit in the house/level BEFORE it was installed)?

2. Amount of SUBFLOOR preparation PAID FOR? Amount of subfloor prep OFFERED/received?

3. What was the documented subfloor deflections before installation (ie. how flat/level was the subfloor before the laminate was installed: you are looking for a measurement like "3mm over 3 meters", etc)

4. What is the gap at the wall (aka expansion gap)?

5. Are transition strips placed appropriately for the product (traditionally through ALL doorways and through pinch-points that cause the floor to run LONGER than allowed by the manufacturer.

6. What type of vapour barrier was used?

7. If any of the glue was allowed to remain?

8. Was there any attempt to 'reduce' the adhesion of the left over glue (such as powdering it with SLC powder, etc).

Wow. So much to know.

And last but not least, which is the homeowners requirement: the indoor living conditions such as indoor temperature and humidity.

SJ,

Thanks for the feedback. See below:

1. The laminate planks were in the original factory wrapping and left in the area of install for 3-4 days. Not an issue I believe.

2. A damaged hardwood floor was removed and the adhesive was only scraped and not completely removed. Tacky enough to remove my sandals from my feet!

3. I was given no data on the flatness of the floor and was never told it was issue.

4. I was never given any data as to the gap.

5. The flooring was installed horizontally in my home to provide the shortest runs. Whether it is at the longest or shortest runs, there is still significant noise. Length of run doesn't seem to matter for the noise is throughout.. The vapor barrier used was 6 mil plastic. No cushioning was provided as an additional layer or adhered on the planks.

7. Yes, the adhesive was only scraped and not completely removed.

8. No attempt was made to "reduce" the adhesive other than the scraping

9. I have an Ecobee digital thermostat that measures RH and temp. Theses values never went or are now above what the contractor made reference to in our email correspondence.

The contractor's "out" is that they claim to be in accordance with NWFA installation guidelines and that the NWFA has no guidelines for noise. One question that I have is with the adhesive that wasn't removed and I questioned compatibility at the beginning. As I understand it, the hardwood floor adhesives can be water based. Being so and without removing it or mitigating it somehow, can the moisture from the adhesive be an issue even with the plastic overlay? Any other information and insights are welcome.

Thanks/Nick

Did your laminate planks have a cushion or foam type backing?

^^good question @cat_ky A laminate with a backing (foam especially) can be squeaky when used over top of plastic sheeting...but you still need MOVEMENT to get it to make noise.

The vapour barrier can and will crinkle (make noise) if laid improperly. Regardless of HOW the 'improperly' happens, it will make noise. Going down over top of adhesive may not be the entire issue.

Generally, when floors/vapour barriers make noise, it is because of some sort of MOVEMENT. The MOVEMENT crushes the vapour barrier and therefore produces noise. The MOVEMENT is what is doing it.

To get MOVEMENT you need some sort of issue with the flatness rating. And the FLATNESS rating is part of the NWFA guidelines = A-HA! There it is. That's your BIG STICK. Flatness.

To get your subfloor flat, the installer would have to REMOVE the adhesive to add SLC (self leveling cement).

Can you find an area where you can FEEL the floor bend or flex under your feet?