How to Stop Hardwood Floors Squeaking and Creaking Noises

Silencing a beautiful wood floor makes it even more enjoyable.

Noisy hardwood flooring is a result of movement: floorboards rubbing together, against nails or even against the subfloor—the plywood or lumber decking below the hardwood. It's nearly impossible to stop all squeaks, especially in extrememly dry air causes boards to shrink and make more noise, so try to remember that this is part of the charm of real hardwood. That said, there are some simple tricks that can be very effective on troublesome areas. Two of these involve working from above the floor, fastening the floorboards to the subfloor. The third technique does the same thing from below; this is preferred because there's no work done to the finished floor surface.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Grease pencil
• Drill with driver and piloting bits
• 6d or 8d spiral-shank flooring nails
• Hammer
• Nail set
• Wood putty
• Putty knife
• 1-1/2-inch square-drive, trim-head wood screws
• 1-1/4-inch wood screws

Nailing Floorboards from Above

1. Identify the squeaking boards by walking slowly around the floor. It's important to find exactly which boards are moving to prevent making holes in the wrong places. Mark the points of greatest movement with a grease pencil or masking tape.

2. Drill a pilot hole through the floorboard only (not through the subfloor) at each marked location. Stay at least 1/2 inch away from the board's edges and ends, and angle the hole slightly toward the center of the board. Use as drill bit the same diameter or slightly smaller than the shank (not the head) of the nails you’ll use.

3. Drive a 6d or 8d spiral-shank flooring nail into the hole while pressing down on the board as much as possible—this will ensure that there’s no space beneath the floorboard. Hammer the nail until it's nearly flush, then finish drive the nail head slightly below the surface of the wood with the hammer and a nail set.

4. Fill the hole over the nail head with tinted wood putty that blends well with the floor's coloring, smoothing it flush with the wood with a putty knife or fingertip. Let the putty dry completely.

Screwing Floorboards from Above

1. Identify the precise location of each squeak and mark the offending floorboards with a grease pencil or masking tape.

2. Select two drill bits based on the size of your 1-1/2-inch trim-head wood screws: One bit should be slightly smaller in diameter than the threaded part of the screw; the other should have the same diameter as the screw head.

3. Drill a shallow hole through the floorboards at each marked location, using the larger drill bit and making the hole just deep enough to create a countersink allowing you to recess the screw head slightly below the wood surface. The hole should be at least 1/2 inch from the any side edge or end of the board. As with the nailing method, angle the hole slightly toward the center of the board.

4. Drill a second hole through the first, using the smaller-diameter bit and stopping when you get through the full thickness of the floorboard (typically about 3/4 inch). Do not drill into the subfloor.

5. Drive a 1-1/2-inch square-drive, trim-head wood screw through the pilot hole and into the subfloor while pressing down on the floorboard as much as possible. Stop when the board is tight against the subflooring and the screw head is countersunk slightly below the surface of the floorboard.

6. Fill the hole over the nail head with tinted wood putty that blends well with the floor's coloring, smoothing it flat with a putty knife. Let the putty dry completely.

Screwing the Floorboards from Below

1. Identify the precise location of each squeak by having a helper walk around on the floor above while you mark the locations onto the subfloor from below. (So you don’t have to shout to communicate, your cell phones may come in handy here.)

2. Drill a pilot hole through the subfloor and partway into the flooring from below, using a piloting-countersink bit sized for 1-1/4-inch wood screws. Be careful not to drill all the way through the flooring above. Make the hole directly under the squeaky board, going straight up.

3. Drive a 1-1/4-inch wood screw through the subfloor and into the floorboard, stopping when the floorboard is snug to the subfloor. Repeat the process at the location of each squeak. Note: You may have to use shorter screws if your flooring and subfloor are not 3/4 inch thick each.

Tips & Warnings

• Make your first few repairs in inconspicuous areas when working from above the floor, just to get a little practice with drilling and working with the fasteners before you tackle squeaks on the more visible parts of the floor.

References

• Renovation: 3rd Edition; Michael W. Litchfield; 2005 (book)

Resources

• This Old House: Fixing a Squeaky Floor; Merle Henkenius