Updated Oct 18, 2022
Updated Oct 18, 2022
If you want to fix squeaky floorboards, there are a few things you should know about your house—one being you likely live in a home built between 1900 and 1950 with suspended ground floors. In the 1950s, suspended ground floors gave way to ground-bearing concrete floors, where the hardwood flooring is laid directly on top of a slab of concrete or stone. Ground-bearing concrete floors rarely have squeaky floorboards.
Suspended ground floors have two elements relevant to your squeaky situation—the joists and the boards themselves.
Floor joists are the large wooden beams that bear the weight of your floorboards. They run perpendicular to the boarding and if you have wood floors, you can typically tell where they are by the nails in your floor. If your squeaky floors are covered by carpet or vinyl, there are other ways to locate the joists.
When it comes to squeaky floors, the relationship between your floor joists and floorboards is almost always the culprit. Gaps form over time, which ultimately cause the annoying squeaking. To remedy this, you’re going to need to get underneath your floor, so look for access through a basement or crawlspace. You’ll need at least one other person, wood shims, and/or construction adhesive. See the below-ground fix below.
If you don’t have access to a basement or crawlspace, there are ways to address the issue above ground, but it’s slightly more invasive. You’re going to need special screws or nails and wood filler. See the above-ground fix below.
If you’re lucky, the squeaking may simply be caused by your floorboards rubbing up against one another. If this is the case, your maintenance is going to be an entirely above-ground operation. All you’ll need is talc or powdered graphite. See quick fix #1.
If you try everything suggested below and you still have a squeaky floor, you may have defective joists. If this is the case, you’ll need to call in a professional. Don’t let this discourage you from trying, though. Floor joists are meant to last for the lifespan of your home, so they’re incredibly strong. Fixing your squeaky floorboards is more than likely a completely manageable DIY project.
Before you venture underneath your floor, check to see whether your squeaky boards are simply rubbing against one another. Locate your joists by the nails in your floorboards (if the floor is covered in carpet or vinyl, you can use a hammer to find them—just tap around on the floor until you hear a dull thud).
Once you’ve located the joists, walk along the length of them. If your floorboards are creaking as you walk directly on top of the joists, your floorboards are rubbing against one another. Simply dust a bit of baby powder (or talc powder) or graphite lubricant between the boards. This should fix your problem.
If the boards aren’t rubbing against one another, your problem is more than likely the result of a gap between your subflooring and your joists. If you have a basement or a crawlspace, read on for your quick fix—if not, skip to quick fix #3.
There are some cases that are not conducive to a simple shim fix. You may find a gap that’s too small to fit a shim or your gap may be too long (in this case, you could use multiple shims, but this can be a hassle). If the gap is extremely irregular, it can be virtually impossible to address using shims alone.
Ultimately, you may be unable to locate the exact location of the gap. If you find yourself in a bind, you can use construction adhesive.
Run a bead of adhesive along the entire length of the floor joist. Don’t worry about pressing the flooring and the joists together—the adhesive will expand to form a seal. Wait until the adhesive has fully dried before testing the floor (this can take up to seven days).
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