FAQ's

  • What is a "Floating Floor" floor?

    • Most modern Hardwood, Bamboo or Laminate floors use a click system that locks the planks together. These floors are also called "Floating Floors" as they are not nailed or screwed down.

      Stop Creak is specifically designed for these floors because these floors tend to be prone to shrinkage which causes the interlocking sections of wood to "hinge" under foot which causes the squeaks and creaks.  For Stop Creak to work it must be able to penetrate between the planks and penetrate the interlocking sections that "click" together. 

  • Is Stop Creak guaranteed to fix creaky floors?

    • No. Stop Creak is a very effective lubricant but every floor is different and some floors are simply too tight for Stop Creak to penetrate.

  • How is Stop Creak used to diagnose problems with floors?

    • Stop Creak will silence floors where the creaking is caused by expansion and contraction of the floor surface itself. However, sometimes the creaks are caused by issues in the subfloor and the easiest and cheapest way to figure out source of the issue is to use Stop Creak first. If Stop Creak works it will save you thousands on replacing your floor. If doesn't silence your floor it will save you at least a couple of hundred pounds (or dollars) on getting a flooring professional to rip up part of your floor and come to the same diagnosis. For this reasons Stop Creak is used by engineers in some of the largest building companies in the Europe to quickly diagnose and solve issues in large residential and commercial settings.

  • Will Stop Creak work on traditional floorboards?

    • No. Most traditional floorboards are nailed down and so the creaking is usually down to the wood sliding up and down the nail when under load. We don't recommend Stop Creak for these floors.

  • Why should I bother with Stop Creak when WD-40 is just as good?

    • Sheesh, don't believe everything you read on the internet!

      WD-40 is designed to release rusted nuts however, if you search online you'll find it is also recommended for polishing leather shoes amongst other things. Would you use WD-40 to polish your shoes or would you buy shoe polish? WD-40 extremely flammable, it smells of gasoline and it only stop creaks in floors for as long as it is wet. You could use Stop Creak on rusted bolts (we tried it and it works a treat) however, we would recommend WD-40 for that because that's what it was designed for!

  • How long does Stop Creak last?

    • How well and how long Stop Creaks works for is down to a number of factors. First, Stop Creak may not work at all because it is a lubricant and it can only reduce creaks if you apply it to where the friction occurs. If the fiction is caused by the subfloor and Stop Creak doesn’t reach that area then the creaking will continue and you will need to pull the floor up. In terms of how long it lasts, it again depends on what is causing the creaking. If the creaking is caused by the click system flooring moving and rubbing due to uneven floor or shrinkage, then typically it will require one treatment followed by a further 2-3 spot treatments over the course of a year to silence the floor completely. The reasons for this is that the floor will change shape and move during the changing of the seasons, so you will find that different areas creak during different times of year. However, like a car or a bicycle, a floor has many moving parts so therefore we recommend lubricating the floor every 2 years regardless of whether it creaks or not. This will help prevent premature wear in the joints and stop planks from separating over time.

  • Does new Stop Creak contain any nasty chemicals?

    • No. Stop Creak is water based, non-flammable, biodegradable and 100% safe to use in your home. It is odorless and does not stain.

  • Does Stop Creak work on Tongue and Groove floors?

    • Sometimes. If you have a tongue and groove floor we would recommend you use our adhesive product instead.

  • My new wood floor creaks. Is it faulty?

    • Probably not. Laying a floor properly is only one part of the equation, breaking in your floor correctly is as important and this is most often why floors creak (mine included!). The correct procedure for breaking in a click system floating floor is to set your heating at ambient temperature and raise it by 1 degree per day until the room is at the correct temperature. Not following this procedure will contract the floor and within a few months, your floor will creak underfoot

  • What if my floor has no grooves or visible gap between planks?

    • Stop Creak will not be able penetrate between the planks of your floor and will therefore be unlikely to help.

  • Do I need DIY skills to use Stop Creak?

    • No. As long as you can shake a bottle you're fully qualified to go for it.

  • Will Stop Creak work if my subfloor is causing the creaks

    • No. Stop Creak can only penetrate the click system floor and it cannot get to the subfloor. Some of the most common causes of a squeaky floor originating from the subfloor system include poorly nailed subfloor sheathing, missing joist hangers, missing nails or nails that just miss the joist, improperly installed subfloor sheathing, improper application of subfloor adhesive, and excessive shrinkage of subfloor. In all these cases Stop Creak won't help.

  • How much do I need?

    • It depends on your floor and how much it creaks. Some people like to treat the entire floor and other prefer to spot treat the areas that creak. If you spot treat to start with you almost certainly will need more as the weather changes as your floor will begin to creak in the areas you didn't treat the first time round. We recommend reapplying Stop Creak every 3-4 years to ensure your floor is wel lubricated and to prevent from premature wear which can cause the planks to separate in high traffic areas.