How to fix a squeaky floor under linoleum?

Abby
by Abby

How do I stop my floor from squeaking under linoleum? It's driving me nuts!


  15 answers
  • Veronica Veronica on Jan 04, 2018

    You have to go in the basement, have someone stand on the squeaky spot so you can find it's location in the basement, then put a wood screw or 2 in it. The screws need to be long enough to screw into the cross sections that supports the floor boards.

  • Clair Clair on Dec 04, 2017

    I actually saw this on This Old House one time. They went down to the basement, put great big screws in the underside of the floor, and somehow brought all the boards together to straighten it out. Maybe go check their website & put in a search

  • Cindy Cindy on Dec 04, 2017

    This may be a two-person job. One person goes to the basement and the other walks on floor and yells out when he hears the squeak. You need to identify where the squeaks are exactly. Once squeaks are located, You will put some carpenter's glue on a thin wooden shim and gently tap it between the joists and the sub-floor. I hope this helps you.

  • Judy Judy on Dec 04, 2017

    The reason for this, is that the original floor was put down with nails. If they would have used screws, it wouldn't be doing this. Whatever area, is able to get at, lift up the rug, or flooring, and see if you can use a screw in place with the nail. This will truly help you, greatly. Best wishes, J.

  • Gale Allen Jenness Gale Allen Jenness on Dec 05, 2017

    Judy has the right idea exactly, screws are always better to use then nails! But as long as you can get to the underside of your flooring by way of your basement. You can add a block of wood glued and screwed to your floor Joice leaving a 1/8 “ or so gap from the underside of your flooring. You can also predrill holes in the block that will allow you to screw up into your flooring before adding this block to your floor joice! Then make sure the screws you use are not too long that you’ll screw thru your flooring upstairs. If you use 2”x2” blocks a 2 1/2 inch Sheetrock screw should be plenty long enough. Be careful not to countersink your screw into the block too far or you might find it sticking thru your flooring upstairs! I have done this many times on squeaky floors and it has never failed me! You can glue to the floor Joice and the top of the block where it will meet the floor, long as you’re quick and don’t allow glue to dry too much before adding your screws thru the block into your flooring from the underside! Again as Aljosier mentioned, if your not sure where your squeak is from your basemen? Another person can make it easier to find that perfect spot to add a block. But if you don’t have any help? Use long as blocks as you can attached to your floor juices and just add several screws up into your flooring from underneath and you’ll still get that squeekto go away! Best of luck

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Nov 28, 2021

    Hopefully you have a basement you can get into and fix this, we have a slab foundation and our floor squeaks in spots where it was improperly put in. Go to the basement and locate the squeak with someone on the floor above you. Either replace the nails with screws or add wood glue to thin wood shims and tap them into place.


  • Mogie Mogie on Nov 28, 2021

    Cleat the subfloor and screw it down instead of using nails.

  • Annie Annie on Nov 28, 2021

    There's also a product called SqueeekNo More that apparently works well. Here's a link with info if you want it

    https://www.homerepairtutor.com/fix-squeaky-floors-with-floor-repair-kit/

  • Maura White Maura White on Nov 29, 2021

    Do you have a basement? If you can access the squeaker floor from underneath, you could attach a support beam to help stop the squeaking. My husband did this with our stairs.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Nov 29, 2021

    Go underneath and wedge shims between sub flooring and floor joists.

  • Oh I know that pain! Can you get below the floor, as in, is the ceiling below open? If so, Bob Vila's site as well as the This Old House site has tips for how to stop squeaky floors if you can't find any suggestions on Hometalk via the search bar.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 26, 2023

    Take up the lino and fix the floorboards, unless you have access from below!

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Mar 07, 2023

    Lift the lino and lay an underlay, then replace Lino. Are you sure it is not your feet on the lino making the noise?