| |
Floors and stairs squeak when wooden floorboards or
structural elements rub against each other, when the
bridging between joists flexes under traffic, or when
floorboards have not been properly nailed to the subfloor.
Fix squeaks from underneath the floor or staircase, if you
can. If the underside is covered, you'll have to work from
above. With hardwood floors, drive ring-shank or
cement-coated flooring nails into the seams between
boards. Separate wooden bridging members to eliminate
noise problems.
To quiet a squeaky floor covered with deep-pile carpet,
drive a wallboard screw through the carpet and pad into
the floor joist. Countersink the screw head in the
subfloor. This releases any trapped pad under the screw
head and allows the carpet to lie flat. |
|
|
| |
|
 Shimming the subfloor: If floor joists are not tight against the
subfloor in the area that's squeaking, shimming may solve
the problem. Wedge shims between the joist and subfloor
and tap them into place. Don't pound the shims because
they could lift the floorboards and cause more squeaking. |
 |
| |
|
 Cleating the
subfloor: Where several boards in the subfloor above a
joist are moving, securing them with a cleat works better
than shimming the boards individually. A piece of 1x4,
wedged against the subfloor and nailed to the joist solves
this problem. |
 |
| |
|
 Reinforcing
joists: Squeaking over a large area may indicate that the
joists beneath the floor are shifting slightly and
inadequately supporting the subfloor. Steel bridging,
nailed between joists, keeps the joists from moving side
to side and stabilizes the subfloor. |
 |
| |
|
 Driving
screws from below: Drill a pilot hole through the subfloor,
then a smaller pilot hole into the finished floor. Have
someone stand on the raised boards while you pull them
tight with a wood screw. |
 |
| |
|
 Nailing from
above: When you can't get access to the floor from below,
drill pilot holes and nail through the surface. Locate the
floor joists and nail directly into them for a fastening
job that won't work loose. Countersink the nail heads. |
 |
| |
|
 Anchoring
stair treads to risers: Driving flooring nails at opposing
angles assures they won't come loose again. With hardwood
treads, drill pilot holes for the nails, drive the nails
into the risers, and countersink the nail heads. Fill the
nail holes with wood putty. |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
| |
