How to fix squeaky hardwood floors?

Question

How do I fix squeaky hardwood floors?

William · Answer

I had the same problem in a hall above a finished basement. This is an old carpentry trick. Use your foot to find the squeaks. Mark them with pieces of tape. Drill 1/8' holes into the wood at an angle facing each other about 1/2' apart. Use 8 Penny (8d) finish nails and nail them into the holes. Countersink the nails and fill the holes with a Minwax wax pencil same color as the floor. The nails at an angle will pull and hold the floorboard from moving.

Elaine · Answer

Another trick is baby powder! No kidding! Sprinkle powder between the noisy planks and many times, this will do the trick. I know someone in the flooring business and they advise customers to first try powder and see if it will stop their noise problem. I had an area in some new hardwood, sprinkled the spot where I thought the noise was coming from and after a few days, it went away! It didn't work the first day (I have no idea **why) ... all I know is the squeak has gone away! Re ** in hindsight, it probably took a few days to work because the more the noisy area was walked on, the powder worked itself into the spot. That's my guess!

Robert Eggers · Answer

Use baby power and screws not nails. Nails will come up over time, but million dollar homes use screws. Now you have a million dollar home.

Kimberly Saxton Scruggs · Answer

A very long time ago I read an article that said to sprinkle/ brush talcum powder into the affected area, cracks. Might talk to a floor installer from one of the big hardware stores. (Lowe's, etc.) They might have some suggestions.  Also, Google.

Jeanette S · Answer

Talc is a good solution that may have to be repeated from time to time...but usually works. Caution to people putting in wooden floors. Take up the old floor and screw down the sub flooring. Nails loosen with time faster than screws will. We took up our own carpet and pad, went along every floor hammering down nails to tighten them and then put in screws...plenty of them. It is worth the time it takes to prepare your sub floor for wood!

Wglindner · Answer

My family has been in the hardwood floor company for 50yrs. If your old floor squeaks take a pencil put a small x on it go and walk the floors and mark them the same. Now get you a name not a ten penny nail . But a small long nail and hammer it in at the x and set the nail do this where ever then get you some saw dust if you have to cut wood the mix the saw dust with a little Elmer glue and fill you nail set. After it dry sand lightly. Just over the nail hole. Then take clear laquar and small art brush pat over this but if it not natural. Stain then use the small paint brush on top of name . That's works every time.

Put a nail on the x. Spot and hammer it in then get a punch to put the nail a little bit under the wood fill hole with saw dust and Elmer glue let it dry lightly Sand , and try to keep it right on the nail area when sanding by hand. Then get a very small paint artist brush and tap it with clear Polly. Let dry do again if your flor are natural if not you can get a touch up marker from lowes and cover the nail put

Linda Fraser · Answer

sprinkle powder on the floor. take your broom and work it in good then sweep up the extra powder

William · Answer

I had the same problem in a hall above a finished basement. This is an old carpentry trick. Use your foot to find the squeaks. Mark them with pieces of tape. Drill 1/8' holes into the wood at an angle facing each other about 1/2' apart. Use 8 Penny (8d) finish nails and nail them into the holes. Countersink the nails and fill the holes with a Minwax wax pencil same color as the floor. The nails at an angle will pull and hold the floorboard from moving.

Johnchip · Answer

WilIy has the answer, but I have done this on many an old floor without having to drill first. Hit your nail on its head to dull the tip to avoid wood split and just nail it in, Countersink and fill if desired.

Judy Riley · Answer

You could try pouring  talcum powder on the floor around th squeek and brushing it in, the powder should slide between the cracks of the floor and let the join slip instead of stick, then sweepthefloor to pick upall the excess talc. WEAR A MASK THOUGH TOKEEP IT OUT OF YOUR LUNGS.

Cheri Fahrenkrug-Manning · Answer

Sprinkle baby powder on floor where it squeaks.  Leave it a couple of hours.  Walk on it etc.  Then wipe away excess.  Might have to do this a few itmes, but it's easy and cheap

Marlene Matyevich · Answer

Instead of talc use sawdust, you can stain it to match the floor.

Jewellmartin · Answer

If you do use a wedge or shims, squirt a little oil in there, too. You can also nail or brad the squeaky boards down. The most important thing is to make sure the floor is not getting wet from below, and that the foundation is protected from moisture. That causes more than a couple of squeaky boards. Jewell

Tim · Answer

I have Worked on a house built in 1980 and walking in the entry hall way approximately 3-4 feet in hallway you easily make the floor squeak I had the

owner stand in that area and I went in crawl space then asked him to walk back and forth in that area. The floor squeaked and on 1 side of the joist where the hall wall had been nailed to floor the floor moved up and down on the nail that came thru floor and I screwed from inside crawl space up threw sub floor into wall plate in a

couple places maybe 3 then had them walk on floor an squeaks were gone. that was 5 years ago, still quiet. Good Luck.! Tim R.

Just Retired · Answer

hopefully you have access to the floor from beneath. While you are under the floor looking up at the joists have someone walk across the floor where the squeak is you want to insert a shim with glue on it between the board and the joist. This will fix the squeak.

Rose Broadway · Answer

Try working talcum powder in the cracks. If there is a basement or crawl space you can try using tiny wood or metal shims between boards.

Risa · Answer

I have heard that if you find the boards that are rubbing together (that’s what’s causing the squeaking), and shake a little talcum powder or baby powder between those boards, it will eliminate the problem.

Cynthia H · Answer

I've used both baby powder and cornmeal. It works short term.

Chubby58 · Answer

Try putting some cornstarch or baby powder between the cracks and see if that works.

Johnavallance82 · Answer

MDF or Plywood.

Oliva · Answer

Tom Silva, of This Old House has a video, showing use of Squeeks No More. The company also. Has a video. Product works well on older hardwood floors. You can review it to see if it would work on newer click and lock typr floors.

Deb K · Answer

Hello, hope this helps you out, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iAseVZZKlY

Johnavallance82 · Answer

Screw the boards down! or try French chalk or both. Otherwise over lay with MDF.

Agnes Chrzanowska · Answer

screw your floor tighter

Agnes Chrzanowska · Answer

regulate temp and screw them in

Kmdreamer · Answer

That needs to be done from the bottom with screws the board is going up and down on the nail.screws don’t do that ..

How to fix squeaky hardwood floors?

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How to fix squeaky hardwood floors?

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