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Hot Spot Training Stops Creaky Bedroom Floors in Florida
Responding to a recurring service issue for home builders in Florida, National Housing Quality (NHQ) Certified trade contractor SelectBuild Integrated Construction Services has incorporated hot spot training to reduce warranty calls on squeaky floors in second-floor bedrooms.
As recently reported in Quality Matters, the official e-newsletter of the NAHB Research Center's National Housing Quality Program, preventing the squeaks in the first place is the best solution, since correcting the problem in existing homes is difficult and expensive.
As part of its corporate-wide quality assurance program, SelectBuild sought to modify any field installation processes that may have contributed to post-closing floor-squeaking concerns raised by the customers of builders in the region.
Movement of a wood framing member against a metal structural hanger is a common cause of a noticeable floor squeak. In this case, floor trusses set in buckets with glue were identified as the cause of the noise. In the state’s hot weather, the glue cracks and separates, eventually causing the floor to creak.
To resolve the issue, SelectBuild found that wrapping the end of the wood trusses with paper instead of glue will significantly reduce floor creaking after occupancy of the home owner.
The correction process was described for work crews with the use of hot spot training, which incorporates a graphic tool that depicts the right and the wrong way of performing certain routine field construction tasks. Typically presented in both English and Spanish, the visual cues of hot spot training are helpful in overcoming language barriers on the job site.
To see the graphically oriented “hot spot” training sheet used to implement this simple process, click here.
For more information, e-mail Jeff Taggart of the NHQ Certified Trade Contractors Program.
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