Floating Engineered Hardwood Transitions

After installing the hardwood (floating), allowing a 1/2" gap around the perimeter (as suggested by the manufacturer) I've noticed that at 2 transition areas (a t-molding to kitchen tile and a threshold to the sliding door) the hardwood is a little bouncy - as if there's a slight dip in the sub floor about 1 foot out from the transition area. I didn't notice any level change while prepping the sub floor but now I'm wondering if I missed it.

It's not terribly bad, but since the rest of the floor has zero issues, it is bugging me. Which leads me to a few questions:

Are there any suggestions on minimizing this? Dare I shim? After installing the transitional molding, do you think the bouncing might minimize a little? (I haven't installed any transitional molding yet)

Thanks a bunch, kinda stuck here.

I put down some floating flooring in the kitchen of the new to us 150-year-old home and the sub was anything but flat. After doing my best at making a level surface as best I could there were still a few spots like you mentioned with bounce and I shimmed them by sliding in a few thicknesses of tar paper.

It has stayed fine now for a few years no bounce no squeaks.

The pros should be along with their tips and thoughts.

Tar paper shim eh? That sounds like worth trying. I think it wouldn't take a whole lot to even out the bounce - it's not too drastic and only in 2 spots near the edge of the transition.

Thanks for the input bud16415!

Do you have access to the floor from below?

nealtw said:

Do you have access to the floor from below?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately no, not without going through the drywall.

sethlit said:

Unfortunately no, not without going through the drywall.

Click to expand...

So how do you feel about taking up some floor and leveling with felt?

nealtw said:

So how do you feel about taking up some floor and leveling with felt?

Click to expand...

I'm all ears. I do have some left over flooring that wasn't used.

Also, I am able to lift the flooring a bit near the kitchen transition. I don't suppose it's possible to have enough access under the floating floor to slide material in that would work?

Thanks for the help.

sethlit said:

I'm all ears. I do have some left over flooring that wasn't used.

Also, I am able to lift the flooring a bit near the kitchen transition. I don't suppose it's possible to have enough access under the floating floor to slide material in that would work?

Thanks for the help.

Click to expand...

I don't have what I would think was a good suggestion..I would worry about breaking something when prying it up.

I would try slipping something in under at the doorways if that is the trouble spot, before I took the flooring up to that point. It can’t hurt and you can always pull it out. Just be careful is all with prying up on the floor. Maybe a wood shim to lift it a speck and then slip the tar paper in.

nealtw said:

I don't have what I would think was a good suggestion..I would worry about breaking something when prying it up.

Click to expand...

Yeah I think you're right. The risk might not be worth the reward.

bud16415 said:

I would try slipping something in under at the doorways if that is the trouble spot, before I took the flooring up to that point. It can’t hurt and you can always pull it out. Just be careful is all with prying up on the floor. Maybe a wood shim to lift it a speck and then slip the tar paper in.

Click to expand...

I experimented with another layer of the foam underlayment, which helped with the bounce, but because of the texture, it was a little noisy. I think tar paper might just be enough to help.

Should the tar paper be between the su bfloor and the underlayment, or above the underlayment? Any thoughts on that?

Thanks again for your guys' help, much, much appreciated.

sethlit said:

Yeah I think you're right. The risk might not be worth the reward.




I experimented with another layer of the foam underlayment, which helped with the bounce, but because of the texture, it was a little noisy. I think tar paper might just be enough to help.

Should the tar paper be between the su bfloor and the underlayment, or above the underlayment? Any thoughts on that?

Thanks again for your guys' help, much, much appreciated.

Click to expand...

I would slip it under the pad.