If and when you decide to sell your home, it's a good idea to have a serious squeak on the floors.It's an easy fix that will only take a few minutes and the right tools to fix it.The squeaky floors are caused by the sheets rubbing against one another.The noise and vibrates are caused by intermittent friction.It is possible to end the noise by learning to identify the offending boards.
Step 1: Look for the source of the sound.
The best way to identify a squeak is to stand in your basement and look up at the subfloor.You can identify the problem area and the best way to remedy it by listening and watching.The plywood subfloor rubbing against the floor joists is the cause of most squeaks.The structural support below the top floor will sometimes shrink over time as the wood dries out, causing high-pitched, irritating squeaks.It is common for the top floor to squeak on hardwood floors.Skip to the next method if you want to address squeaks in the top floorboards.In the crawl space or the basement, squeaky boards under tile, linoleum, and other flooring will need to be fixed.
Step 2: The weight of the squeak should be from above.
Weighting down the floor from above will make your repair more effective.It would be fine to use furniture, barbell weights, bags of salt, and heavy books.If you have to work in a pinch, you could have a helpers stand on the spot.
Step 3: You have to attach a brace to the floor.
If the floor seems to be squeaking because the subfloor and the joists are loose, the best way to remedy the issue is to install a brace to secure things and eliminate the annoying sound.The Squeak-Ender is a brand of support that can be found at most home repair stores for a couple of bucks.To install one of these braces, screw the mounting plate to the underside of the subfloor.Wood screws are small enough to fit in the brackets.Attach the brackets to the rod and tighten the mechanism with a wrench until the subfloor is pulled down.
Step 4: Between the subfloor and the joist is where wood shims should be installed.
Small, thin pieces of wood are used for filling gaps, squaring up carpentry projects and keeping things from swelling and squeaking.For squeaks that are the result of small gaps that might be more easily and cheaply fixed than by installing a brace, use wooden shims.If you've found the source of the sound, but don't see the play between the subfloor boards and the joists, buy a package of small shims and insert them into the gaps.Put carpentry glue on the shims and slide them into the gap.If the board is forced back up, make the squeak worse, or translate it to another area, be careful.If you try to do this, you need to weight the floor from above.
Step 5: Go into the floor with the subfloor.
You can tighten things yourself with wood screws.It can be done in a pinch by using wood screws to connect the floor and the subfloor.To make sure you don't go too far and carpentry come up the other side, drill a pilot hole with your power drill roughly the length of the screw.It's hard to know how thick the individual layers of the floor are, but you want to be very careful not to drill too far and have a sharp edge sticking out the side of a floor you walk on.To make sure you don't do this, drill a pilot hole for the length of the screws you've purchased.The screws should be installed normally.
Step 6: If necessary, remove the carpet over the area that is squeaky.
You can skip this step if you have a hardwood floor.If you have a carpeted floor, you need to either cut a small strip of it up to install under or use screws that can be used through carpeting.Some kits can be used over and through carpeting without the risk of damage.Whether you pull up the carpet or not, the process will be the same.If you have to remove carpeting, make sure to keep it clean and secure so you can get it back later.If you can pull up a particular segment of carpet along a seam, keeping it secure, that would be the best way of pulling it up, rather than just cutting a segment out from the middle.Unless you work along a natural seam, there is no easy way to cover up your work.
Step 7: The closest joist to the squeak is found here.
You have to walk in the area until you can find it.Use a stud- finder to find the closest joist to the squeak.If you don't have a stud finder, you can use a hammer or other heavy object to tap on the floor and listen.When you tap on it, it will sound flatter and thinner.To be extra-sure, you can drill a pilot hole using a depth-control bit in your variable speed drill to make sure you hit the joist before you use a screw.
Step 8: The board is loose and needs to be fixed.
Attach the two pieces to the joist to fix the squeaky board.You will need heavy-duty wood screws to do this.When you drill your pilot hole, you can get a sense of that length.You can use break-away screws in some kits to make the repair almost invisible.This is a very effective way of securing your boards.
Step 9: The hole needs to be filled with wood putty.
If you're working on a hardwood floor, it's important to keep the spot clean and smooth.Wood putty, also known as plastic wood in some places, is a type of putty made of sawdust and binder and is very effective at filling the holes left around the nails.It is available for a few dollars at most home repair stores.Sand the area with a small amount.The wood tone of the floor and wood putty can be matched.It's important to get it as close as possible.Don't worry about using wood putty if you're carpeting back over it.
Step 10: Take the spot and make sure to sand it.
It might be a good idea to smooth back over the top of the screw that you installed.If your floor is carefully stained, this would be a bad idea, but you might need to smooth out the wood shards from the screw job.Don't use too much grain sandpaper.