Creaky floorboards can be a real bugbear and feature in all types of homes, old and new. To help you silence your squeaky floorboard, we’ve rounded up the best ways to fix creaky floorboards in less than 10 minutes.
What causes squeaky floorboards?
Squeaky floors happen when there is movement between the wood. Start by pinpointing where the movement is coming from, then choose a repair method from the solutions below to stop floorboards creaking.
Squeaky floor in one spot
If your floor is squeaking in one spot and you can see movement when you step on it, this is due to the floorboards rubbing against each other and making a noise.
Large area of creaky floor
If your squeaking floor makes noise across a large area, this is likely due to movement in the subfloor (the base of your floor which sits underneath the floorboards).
Squeaky wooden floors in a new home
If your home is new and you have a creaky floorboard, this could be due to weather changes. In the summer, humidity and heat can cause the wooden floorboards to expand, which leads to squeaks. During the winter, gaps can occur between the floorboards and subfloor due to dry air, which (you guessed it) causes movement and creaking noises.
How to fix a squeaky floor
There are many quick and easy ways to fix squeaky floorboards. Here are our top solutions:
Silence it with a wedge
If your floor squeaks in a particular spot and you have access to your subfloor via a basement, try silencing it by putting a small wedge of wood into the gap.
Stand in the space below the floorboards and have someone slowly walk along the floor until they reach the squeak. As they step on and off the squeak, see whether there is a gap between the floorboards and the subfloor.
Where there is a gap, add some wood glue to the wedge and push it into the space. Avoid forcing the wedge as this may lead to warping on the floor above.
Repeat until all gaps are filled and squeaks are fixed.
Nail the floor to the joints underneath
If your floor squeaks over a large area and you don’t have access to the subfloor, try stopping the movement by nailing the floorboards to the joists underneath.
Start by finding the squeaky areas, then use a stud sensor to locate the joist below. Hammer a nail into the floor so that it goes into the joist, then fill in any noticeable holes with some wood filler.
If your floor is carpeted, lift up the carpet and cut a small hole in the webbing underneath to fit the nail. Then hammer the nail through the floorboard and into the joist.
Use a floorboard lubricant
If you are fixing a squeaky floor where you can’t access the subfloor, try lubricating the floorboards with talcum powder to reduce the friction and silence the noise.
Sprinkle the talcum powder of the area where the squeak is, then cover over with a cloth and walk over the area repeatedly to work in the lubricant. Wipe clean with a damp cloth or hoover up any excess.
Screw the subfloor and floorboards together
If your floor squeaks over a large area and you have access to the subfloor, try screwing them together with a short screw.
Drive the short screw from the underside of the subfloor up into the base of the floorboard, being very careful not to poke the screw out of the top of the floorboard.
If there is an area of floor in an inconspicuous area like a cupboard, start by testing the method there to make sure you don’t have screws poking out of the top.
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