Q: One visitor asked, "We have hardwood floor what was installed a couple of years ago in a room that is an addition over our garage. The floors are making large cracking and popping sounds when no one is on them. What is causing this and what can we do to make it stop?"

A: Try to keep temperatures and relative humidity in the room at what might be considered normal values. In winter, 72 F with 35-40% RH might help. It might also help to make sure the area beneath the floor is insulated with vapour barrier.