How to Eliminate the Clicking Noise in Laminate Flooring

Wood Screw Method

• 1

  Walk over the laminate floor and pay attention to the spots where it creaks or clicks. Mark the spots on the flooring with masking tape.

• 2

  Insert a 3/32-inch bit into the hand drill and drive it directly through the marked spots on the laminate flooring. If the mark is on the seam between two adjoining laminate strips, drill a hole several inches inward through each end of the strip.

• 3

  Sink a 1 3/4-inch wood screw through each hole with a screwdriver bit until the screw's head lies slightly below the surrounding surface.

• 4

  Insert tinted putty into the hole directly above the screw head with a putty knife. Ensure the putty matches the shade of the floor so it does not stand out. Press the putty into the hole with your finger.

• 5

  Wipe excess putty from the top with the knife so the putty is flush with the surrounding surface. Leave the putty in each hole to dry for 24 hours. Keep traffic off the floor during this time.

Wood Shim Method

• 6

  Enlist a helper to walk over the flooring while you stand in the basement and listen or watch for movement in the subfloor. If the movement is not obvious, use a flashlight or drop light to locate a gap between the floor joist and subfloor. This gap causes the clicking sound. Laminate floors typically creak when planks rub against each other or against a nail or ductwork.

• 7

  Insert a pair of wood shims into the gap from each side until they fit snugly inside. Do not push the shims too deep into the gap, because this could cause the floor to rise at the point. Draw a depth line on each shim with a pencil to prevent you from pushing them any further. Remove the shims.

• 8

  Apply a bead of construction adhesive over the shims before inserting them into the gap up to the depth line you made over each.

• 9

  Score excess shim length with the tip of a sharp utility knife several times until it snaps off. Leave the glue to dry for the time specified on the label directions. Keep traffic off the floor during this time.