Tools and Materials
Materials
- Nails
- Construction adhesive
- Shims
Baby powder
Towel
How to Fix Squeaky Hardwood Floors
If you have a crawl space in the basement, you can fix the issue using shims or a construction adhesive.
Identify the exact location of the squeaking floorboard. It would be best to mark its placement from a column. It will help you to locate the board when you are in the basement. Take the help of a measuring tape to figure this out.
Now, go to your basement and locate your squeaky floorboard. Inspect the surroundings of this floorboard. There could be some gap between the subfloor and the joists. This could be due to the warping of wood.
Place the thinner end of a shim between the joist and the subfloor. Draw it inside the gap using a hammer. However, make sure you don’t push the shim too far into the gap. This could lift the subfloor and cause a wedge in your floor. You can hammer two or more shims across the length of the gap.
If the gap is too long, you can apply construction glue instead of using several shims. Squeeze out the glue and cover the entire gap with it. Do not press this area for another 24 hours or the glue might squeeze out of the gap.
Wear safety gloves and safety goggles while using a hammer.
Now, go back into the house and check the floorboard. The floorboard must not be making any squeaking noise. If a squeaky noise is still present, hammer the shims a little more into the gap.
If you have applied construction glue, make sure you wait for 24 hours before pressing the floorboard. It is necessary to wait until the glue has solidified completely.
Ask a family member or friend to be available near the floorboard while you are in the basement. Ask them to check the squeaking each time you hammer the shims into the gap. This will make your work much easier.
If the squeaking noise is still prevalent, the gap might not be the reason behind it. Identify the two studs with the squeaky part of the floor between them. Measure the length between these studs.
Take a 2-inch by 4-inch board and cut it so that it fits between the studs. Place it right below the squeaky floorboard between the identified studs. Either use construction glue or nails to fix it into place.
If you use nails, fix the board to both the studs with their help. Also, drive one nail into the subfloor through this board. This will provide extra support to the floor.
Verify the thickness of your subfloor. Then select nails of optimum length that won’t pierce through the floorboard. This is necessary to ensure that nails do not stick out of your floorboard once you’ve drilled them inside.
Quick Fix for Squeaky Hardwood Floors
If you live in an apartment, you cannot access the area underneath your floor. However, there is a quick method to fix squeaky wood floors in such a situation.
Identify the squeaky part of your floor. Take a bottle of baby powder and sprinkle it over the squeaky parts.
Take a foxtail brush and brush the baby powder over the squeaky floor. This will ensure the powder goes into the gaps. If you see any visible gap between the floorboard joints, make sure you brush the powder into this gap.
Now, step on the floorboards and check if the squeaky noise is still there. Walk over the squeaky area a few times. This will help the baby powder to style into the gaps.
Baby powder can make the floor slippery. Be careful while walking over it. Remove it as soon as you finish the work.
Once the squeaking has stopped, you can clean the floor. Remove the extra baby powder from your floor with the help of a damp paper towel. If your floorboards are still squeaky, contact a professional.