About Squeaky Floors

Squeaky floors are a common annoyance for homeowners and are indicative of issues beneath the top flooring. When a person walks over a bad floor, the boards may produce a loud, creaking noise that increases with the amount of pressure and stops just as soon as the person moves away. Some people strive to adapt to the noise, while others look for solutions.

Features

Although some floors rest on concrete slabs, most modern floors are raised floors that are secured over a complex wooden framework. A raised floor is constructed of a series of parallel, evenly spaced joists running between walls, girders, foundations and support beams. Subflooring is secured to the top of these joists and provides a platform for the finished floor. Most squeaky floor issues are caused at this subfloor level.

Types

Squeaky floors can be caused by a number of floor structure problems. The most common cause is subflooring that is not properly attached to the floor joists. In this situation, when a person walks across the floor, the loose wood moves up and down in the gap and brushes against the nail shafts. Other causes may include installation mistakes with the metal ductwork in the floor and friction between boards not properly secured together.

Considerations

Squeaks are best fixed during the construction phase of a new house, before the drywall has gone up. In a finished house, owners will have to work around closed walls, ceilings and ductwork. The floors in very old houses may contain rotten or decayed wood, infestations and surprise structural concerns, though there are also some advantages. Most old floors will not be of the tongue-and-groove variety, and loose floorboards may be easily glued or nailed down.

Prevention/Solution

To prevent floor squeaks, be aware of how a builder is proceeding with the floors. The builder should have some ideas about how they will avert squeaking. In the early phases of construction, squeaks can be detected in thorough multiple walk-throughs. In existing homes, squeaks can be fixed either at the root of the problem through opening up floors and ceilings or by quick fixes like nailing boards directly to the subflooring and lubricating top flooring seams.

Misconceptions

Some commonly suggested but problematic solutions to fixing squeaky floors involve the use of ring-shanked nails and shims. Ring-shanked nails, which are glued and fastened to floors during construction, can be very effective when properly used but are extremely noisy when loose. Shims, those thin strips of wood sold at hardware stores, can be hammered into the gap between the floor joist and the subflooring. However, they are often hammered too hard and end up causing squeaky lifts in the areas around the original noise.

Resources

• Natural Handyman: Repairing Squeaky Floors
• Ask the Builder: Squeaky Floor Prevention
• Home Tips: Floor Structure