Norbord takes the squeak out of refurbished floors

Squeaking floors – the single most common ‘call-back’ complaint in domestic building work – could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to new “Joint & Joist” adhesive from Norbord.

Available from stockists of Norbord’s leading Caberfloor particleboard floor panels, Joint & Joist is a tough polyurethane adhesive designed specifically for bonding particleboard floor panels to their supporting joists.

Squeaky floors are a common problem in extensions and refurbishment projects where new floor joists have shrunk or warped and are no longer level. Gaps opening up between the panel and joist can result in differential movement which generates noise as the panel rides up and down the shank of a nail.

This movement gradually increases as the floor panels flex and the squeaking becomes progressively worse. Eventually, expensive remedial work is necessary to remedy the problem.

Now the problem of creaking floors can be prevented before it occurs by using Norbord’s Joint & Joist adhesive in place of mechanical fixings.

Ideal for the general builder carrying out repair, maintenance and improvement contracts, Joint & Joist is a gap-filling adhesive which creates a strong bond and prevents any subsequent differential movement. The adhesive remains flexible when cured and will not become brittle or crack.

Traditionally, each 2400 mm x 600 mm tongue and groove board requires up to 17 nails to fix it to the joist. With Norbord Joint & Joist only three nails are required; these have no structural purpose but simply hold the board in place while the adhesive cures.

Although it will not hide poor workmanship or uneven joists, the new adhesive will accommodate minor floor movements to ensure there are no creaks – whether it’s a replacement floor in an existing building or a new floor in a building extension.

Norbord National Brand Manager, Mike Buick, comments: “Norbord is excited by our Joint & Joist flooring adhesive. While it brings a potential problem into the open, it offers a guaranteed low cost solution to ensure a great new, silent Caberfloor’”.