How to Repair a Squeaky Floor Board
If you have a squeaky board in your hardwood floor, you're probably already sick and tired of listening to it. Even though squeaky boards aren't necessarily indicative of more severe floor problems, they're still severely obnoxious. Fortunately, they can often be very easy to fix. It's just a matter of working a little bit of dry lubricant into the cracks. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Step all around the squeaky area, listening closely for squeaks, to isolate the source of the noise. If you listen carefully, you can usually pinpoint the source of the squeak as a single seam between boards.
-
2
Sprinkle talcum powder over the board seams around the squeaky board or boards.
-
-
3
Use a whisk broom to lightly sweep the powder back and forth over the seams. The goal is to get some of the powder worked into the seams. With larger seams, this is relatively easy, but it can be more challenging on floors where the planks are laid very close together. You may find it easier to rub the powder into the seams with the pad of your finger if this is the case.
-
4
Use the whisk broom to brush the excess powder into a pile away from the treated board once you've finished working in the powder. Step on the board again; if it doesn't squeak, you've fixed it. If it still squeaks, try working even more powder into the seams.
-
5
Clean up the leftover powder by sweeping it into a pile away from the seams you treated. Soak a paper towel in water and wring out the excess. Use the damp paper towel to pick up the majority of the pile, then turn the towel to a clean side and wipe up the rest.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If the first application doesn't fix the squeak but you think you got some powder down into the cracks, try it again after about a week. As you continue walking over the board, the powder you applied will settle and distribute throughout the cracks, making room for more.
Be careful not to wipe the treated floorboard seams with the wet paper towel, because this might pull up some of the powder you worked into the cracks.
Some people are allergic to talcum powder. Do not attempt this fix if anyone living in the home has such an allergy.
