There are several options for repairing squeaky wood floors. These options include shims, cleats, counter snap kits, and hiring a professional. The first two are quick and dirty solutions. However, if you’d instead save money and call a professional, you can use a Squeak-Ender product, which is available at Home Depot.
Using a shim
If you have a wood floor with a squeaky problem, you should first find the cause of the squeak. One possible cause is a gap between the floor joists and the subfloor. You can find this gap by inspecting your floor and ensuring it is not too large. If the gap is small, you can use the carpenter’s glue to seal it.
Shims can be purchased from lumberyards or home centers and are a great solution to stop squeaks. When using shims, push them in lightly to avoid widening the gap. If necessary, draw a line on the shim to mark its depth. You can also use construction adhesive to fill any irregularities between wood surfaces.
Using a cleat
If your floor squeaks due to a loose subfloor board, you may need to use a cleat to support the floorboards. This method is more effective than wedges, especially for large floor areas. You must ensure the cleat is secured with countersinking screws to the subfloor.
Squeaky wood floors are not only annoying, but they can also be an indicator that something is falling through. Even if the floor is new, it may have a squeak, which may have been caused by the builder not using enough fasteners. You can avoid this by fixing the underlying problem or finding a way to prevent it from happening in the first place.
First, you should move the furniture away from the squeaky area. You can also use a padded block to reset loose nails. If you can’t get the nails to move, you can wrap them in a tack carpet. Once you’ve done this, you can tap the block with a hammer to set them back into place.
Using a counter-snap kit
Counter-Snap kits are a great way to fix squeaky hardwood floors. They come with a screwdriver bit, a depth-control fixture, and 25 breakaway screws. Before using a Counter-Snap, you must drill or bore a pilot hole into the wood flooring. After drilling, insert a screw into the hole until the snap-off screw is under the surface of the wood. Once the screw is in place, cover it with wood putty and let it dry.
Counter-Snap kits come in two types, the A and B kits. The A version uses longer screws, while the B version uses shorter screws with a shallower fixture. Both kits work on the first and second floors, and you can use them on different parts of the floor.
Hiring a professional
There are several ways to fix squeaky wood floors. In some cases, squeaky floors can be fixed at home using household items, but some floors need a more involved repair. Hiring a professional to fix squeaky floors can save you money in the long run because it can save you from having to replace the flooring.
The first thing you need to do is locate the source of the creaking. If the squeaky floor is coming from below the floor, you can use a stud finder to locate the joist. This widget is portable and used in buildings with wood to find the framing stud.
Shimming the subfloor
One way to fix squeaky wood floors is to shimmy the subfloor. You can do this by pulling up the carpet and accessing the subfloor. Then, you can use a wooden shim to wedge into the gap between the joists and the subfloor. You may also use the carpenter’s glue to secure the shim. Be careful not to shimmy too hard, though, or you may cause a more significant gap than you need.
The squeaking may also be caused by shifting joists. This method will solve the problem by adding a wedge to prevent the floor from moving. This repair will only work on floor joists that are visible from below. If the joists are loose, you can use steel bridging between them.
