Fix the Squeaky Floor

Two of the most irritating things I know of are squeaky shoes and a squeaky floor. Fixing squeaky shoes is easy.... discard them. Fixing a squeaking floor is a little more difficult.

There are basically two reasons a floor may squeak. The most common reason is that it was improperly nailed to the joists and over time some of the nailing has worked loose. The squeaking is caused by the floor moving up and down again the nails. Simply tapping the nails down will not fix the squeak, that will be only a temporary fix. A proper and lasting fix will require removing the loose nails then installing new fasteners. The fasteners I prefer are the trapeze type deck screws one and five-eighths inches in length. Whereas other screws actually created separation between the joists and the plywood, these screws actually suck the plywood down tight. That is what eliminates the squeaks.

The other problem causing squeaking is the edges of the plywood rubbing together when they move. This can happen between floor joists as plywood flexes. The fix for this is to us a circular saw and cut along the seam between sheets if plywood to create space. Set the depth of your saw blade for only the thickness of the plywood to prevent cutting into the joists.

There are key times to fix the squeaks. One is when you are changing carpet of floor coverings. At this time the floor decking is open and joists are readily findable. These squeaks must be fixed before installing hardwood or tile. Covering them up will not fix the problem. In fact, your tile may crack if the squeaks are not repaired.

If you have any questions you may contact me in the comments area.