Methods for Repairing a Squeaky Floor

Old houses are notorious for squeaky floors. We recently moved from a 120 year old house to a brand new house. I couldn’t believe the difference. It seemed that every step we took in our old house made some sort of creek. Now, I can sneak up on my daughter without her hearing a sound. Squeaky floors can become bothersome, especially in the middle of the night. Your first task is to find the source of the squeak. After you locate the direct spot of the squeak, there are three different methods you can use to fix the floor.

The first step to fixing a squeaky floor is to find the source. The easiest way to find a squeak is to have 1 person beneath the floor and one person walking on top. The person beneath can examine the floor joists to see if there is any movement when there is a creek. This usually tells exactly where the source is. Once you find that, it is time to fix the problem.

Shim
Sometimes a squeaky floor can be easily fixed with a shim between the floor and joist. You should never have to force the shim in the gap. It should fit nicely and should eliminate the noise issue.

Glazier’s Points
You can use glazier’s points coated with graphite to silence a squeaky floor. Simply use a putty knife to wedge the points between the floorboards so they are nice and snug. This should prevent further board movement.

Reseat Loose
Board Sometimes all you need to do is reseat your loose floorboards. To do this, grab a 2 by 4 block and staple carpet to it. Than, slide it along the floorboards perpendicular to the length. As you move your block, quickly rap it with a hammer.

Nail Board
A loose board needs to be kept in place. Sometimes the best way to do this is to actually nail it to the ground. Use angled holes and nail the sub floorboards into the floor joists. The less movement in the boards, the less squeak in the floors.

Squeaky floors can be bothersome. They can wake a sleeping baby, or they can just simply annoy the pants off of you. You can either decide to live with the noisy floors or do something about it. These 4 tricks should help you silence your squeaky floors for a long time to come.