How to fix floor squeaks
Squeaky floors and squeaky floor boards can be a real annoyance
for any homeowner. Unfortunately, just about every home has them-
even brand new homes. And they're guaranteed to get worse over
time. There are several products on the market promise to remedy
this problem, but here's a method that's easier- and cheaper than
most of those options.
 What
causes floor squeaks?
Most floor squeaks are caused by the nails that hold the floorboards
in place. The problem is that over time, the wood shrinks and
expands causing the hole the nail has made to shrink and expand
along with it. Eventually the nail no longer fits as 'tightly'
as it once did. As you walk across the floor, the squeaks you
hear are actually made as the wooden floor boards slide up and
down on the nails. In some cases, the builder may miss the joists
completely! This causes the nail to squeak as it rubs up and down
on the edge of the joist.
Fixing squeaky floors from above
 The
best time to fix floor squeaks is when you get new carpeting or
other flooring. You'll be stripping the room down to the floorboards
(or subfloor if you're replacing tile). This is the time it is
easiest- and most effective. You can tell exactly where the squeaks
are coming from, and the room is empty of all furniture which
will make your work much easier. (Of course, you can't use this
method to repair squeaky hardwood floors. To do that, see "fixing
squeaky floors from below" at the bottom of this page.)
If you're not replacing carpeting you have two options:
1. Carefully pull back the carpet & pad
from ½ the room at a time. The downside of this is that
unless you have a way to stretch the carpet back into
place, you may end up with gaps along the baseboard. Also,
if you have cheap padding under your carpet, it may not
pull up easily (without shredding).
2. Buy a kit that such as the O'Berry
Squeak No More Kit
that includes everything you need (screws, drill guide,
etc.) to repair the floor through the existing carpeting.
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What you need to fix squeaky floors
- 1 ½" or 2" wood screws (depending on
the room, plan on about 50 screws per room)
- Pencil
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- Drill
- Yardstick
- Stud finder (optional)
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Fixing squeaky floors
Here's a simple way to fix squeaky floors when you replace your
carpeting:
- After you remove the old carpeting, take a walk around the
room and listen carefully for squeaks.
- Make an "X" or a circle on the area of the floor that is
squeaking. After you've identified all the squeaks, it's time
to fix the floor.
- To fix the floors, you'll need to add wood screws to the area
of the floor that is squeaking. This will prevent the floor
boards from moving up and down on the nails as you walk.
- To fix the squeaks, you'll need to identify the direction
of the joists. Look for rows of nails along the floor. If your
house is like mine, you'll also see them marked after the builder
identified their location in order to put in the original floor.
You may find it easier to use a stud finder to locate the joists.
- After locating the nails holding the floorboards to the joists,
add additional screws along the same line as the squeaks you've
identified and marked during your walk-around. Use 2-3 screws
a few inches apart in each location.
Voila! Your squeaky floors are no more!
Fixing squeaky floors from below
 If
your squeaky floors are on the first floor, and if you have an
unfinished basement (or a drop ceiling that allows you easy access
to the floor above), or if your house is built on a crawlspace,
you may be able to fix the floor squeaks from below.
A product called "Squeak-Ender"
from O'berry Enterprises is a simple, inexpensive solution
to fix squeaky floors from below. The Squeak-Ender works by pulling
the subfloor securely to the joist.
The device consists of two parts. The first part includes the
hanger bolt and is fastened to the underside of the subfloor against
the joist using four screws. The second part is a bracket that
slips over the joist and the hanger bolt. To repair the squeak,
you install the washer and tighten the nut with a wrench. Tighten
until the squeaking stops- being careful not to overtighten.
There's no need to live with annoying floor squeaks. Use one
of the methods above depending on your circumstances, and begin
leading a quieter 'squeak-free' life today!
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