Repair Squeaky Hardwood Floors
Finding the Problem
A squeaky floor is harmless to your home's structure, but they are an annoyance. They are relatively easy to fix and can be a simple weekend project.
Older homes with hardwood flooring is a prime example. Over time boards dry and shrink, causing loose places in wooden flooring. A nail that works its way loose may be the problem. Squeaky spots in the floor spots are easy to find and repair.
Locating the problem area can be accomplished by having someone walk around the room with the squeaky areas. Once the spots are located, eliminating the noise of loose boards can be easilty fixed with baby powder.
If there are no exposed nails, and the boards with the squeak are secure, squirt baby powder into the cracks around the board or boards. This may solve the problem. If the squeak remains the next methods to remedy problems floors will have to be taken.
Older Homes
Unfinished basements are common in older homes with creaky wooden floors. Have someone walk across the floors one level up to find the spot with the squeak. Search for gaps in the flooring, or cracks and splits in support beams in the subfloor that may need repairing. This is a simple repair with the use of glazier points or shims.
While checking subfloor problems, inspect the "X" shaped bridging strips between floor joists, making sure that they are secured in place. Gaps at the top of the joist can cause the floor to shift and squeak.
If you are able to find the loose board or boards from under the flooring, simply secure the board or boards from the subfloor. Long wood screws can be drilled through the subfloor into the loose board securing it to the subfloor. This should eliminate the squeak. Make sure that the screw is not too long, it could go through the main floor.
If there is no subfloor access, the problem will have to be repaired from the main floor. Secure the loose board with wood screws into a counterbore hole. Once secured, it can be covered with a wood plug or piece of stained dowel.
Squeaky floors can usually be repaired by the homeowner. If the floor remains noisy after repair, repeat the process until all squeaks are gone.
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