Hi @Katrina10,
A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop it is fantastic to have you with us.
The popping and crackling sounds are likely due to the floating floorboards not sitting perfectly flat on the underlay.
This could be for a number of reasons, such as the floorboards not being clicked together properly, the boards being fitted too tightly to the wall or an uneven subfloor.
If they are not clicked together properly, you'll be able to see a more obvious gap between the boards than in other areas. If this is the case, you would need to remove and refit the floorboards, ensuring they are clicked together properly.
If the boards are fitted too tightly to a wall, then the floorboard could be bowing in the middle, creating a gap between the acoustic underlay and the board. If this is the case, then the floorboard will need to be lifted, some material removed from the end of the floorboard and then reinstalled.
If the subfloor is uneven, then the floorboard and underlay will need to be lifted, and the low or high spot will need to be fixed. The actions required will depend on the surface beneath, but there are methods of grinding away material and accounting for low spots with levelling compounds that could be used.
I'd suggest doing some investigation into whether the boards are clicked together or are too long. If these are the issues, then they should be rectified. If the issue seems to be due to an uneven subfloor, then I would wait a couple of weeks to see if the floorboards settle a bit before lifting them up to rectify the issue. You may find that over time, they settle into place and there is no need to lift them.
Let me know what you think and if you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Jacob
