How to Fix a Squeeky Floor

Does you floor squeak, or creak under normal foot traffic? This is very common, and not just in old homes. I've seen homes that are only 6 months old with squeaky floors. Ninety nine times out of a hundred, the squeaks are a result of the sub floor pulling loose from a joist that has settled slightly lower than the joists on either side of it. Unfortunately, builders nail instead of screw the sub floor to the joists, hence the nail easily pulls free from the joist if there is any settling at all.



The are a couple of ways to cure a squeaky floor. If you plan to install new flooring, the easiest fix is to secure the sub floor to the joists using wood screws every 8-10 inches. If you don't have plans to change out your floors, then you'll have to get a little bit more creative.



Assuming you have access to a basement or a crawl space below the creaky floor and that space is unfinished, you can fix the floor from underneath. If you aren't sure exactly where the squeak is when you are under it, have someone dance around on the squeaky part of the floor while you are underneath it. By looking at the joists and the sub floor, it should be pretty easy to tell which joist has settled because there will be a slightly visible gap. From here, the fix is simple...just jam shims into the void until it is tight and your done!



And for the bad news...if your basement is finished and you don't intend to replace your floors anytime soon, you are pretty much stuck with the creaks in your floor. I can't tell you how many times I have seen beautiful hardwood floors that someone has driven nails and screws through; and almost every time, with no luck at mitigating the squeak. Folks assume the squeaking is coming from the hardwood floor, which is almost never the case - it is the sub floor "bouncing" on a sunken joist. So, not only will you not succeed by driving fasteners into the hardwood floor, you will also permanently scar the floor, so that you every time you hear them squeak or see the damage, you will be reminded of what a ding dong you are.