For those of you who have stepped in an older home with wood floors, you’ve probably heard a squeaky floor.
It can be quaint and charming, it may even remind you of Grandma’s house.
But for those living in the house hearing the squeaking all the time, it may be a nuisance and you really just want your floor to stop!
Sometimes those squeaks indicate a problem that needs attention. So we’re going to look at when you need to take action and how to quiet a squeaky floor.
Environmental Causes
First, determine if a change in the environment is causing the squeaky floor. Wood naturally expands in the summer and contracts in the winter. The movement from this process will cause some squeaks.
When you start to notice this, don’t panic, just check the humidity levels in your home and make sure they are in the 35% to 55% range. If the air in your home is too dry, or too humid it may cause squeaky floors to appear.
This is considered seasonal and should go away once the air returns to the recommended range of 35% to 55% relative humidity.
If you’ve done all this and your squeak overstays its welcome, then it is time to dig deeper.
Board to Board Squeaky Floors
The technical term for this is “deflection” and it happens in a localized area where the ends or the sides of the boards are rubbing. You’ll hear the squeaky floor when you step on the boards that are rubbing together and you may also see the boards moving.
It happens when boards are damaged due to excess moisture, improper subfloor preparation or improper installation.
Squeaky Floor Remedies are:
- WD 40 (apply with a Squeegee)
- Talcum Powder (apply with a Padco Applicator)
- Squeak No More
- Board Replacement
- DriTac Repair Kits
- Nail or Screw Board Down
Subfloor Causing a Squeaky Floor
Also known as “subfloor deflection,” this type of squeak comes from problems between the wood and the subfloor underneath. You may not see individual boards moving but movement of entire sections of the floor.
If you can take two steps and the floor is still making noise, then you’re probably dealing with an issue related to the subfloor. It can be because of a weak subfloor, improper joist spacing, the wrong subfloor material, or improper nailing (too many or too few nails).
To learn more about how to solve installation-related squeaks, see our article here.
Squeaky floor remedies are:
- Squeak No More
- Squeak Relief
- Shims
- Installing screws through the flooring, subfloor and to the joist
Glue to Concrete Squeaks
If you have a floor glued to a concrete slab, something that is common in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, those floors may squeak as well. This is often caused by hollow spots between the flooring and the concrete slab.
Usually squeaky floors happen here because the concrete is not leveled properly before installation, not enough adhesive was used, or it was inconsistently spread. Filling in the hollow spots with glue will take care of the problem.
Remedies are:
- DriTac Repair Kits
- Board Replacement
Need more help with your squeaky floor? Check out our tutorial videos and learn how to silence your squeaky floors. Click here to see our full Youtube channel.
Other Videos in this Series:
Repair An Open Knot In Wood Flooring
How To Fix A Long White Scratch On Wood Flooring
Fill In A Deep Scratch With Wax Without Refinishing
We have a brand new home that has wide plank engineered wood flooring. It crackles and creaks all over when we walk on it. Are there any solutions to get rid of the cracks, and crackles? It’s driving me nuts.
Hi Jennifer, I know it can be so frustrating to deal with squeaky floors! We have lots of resources on our site to explain why floor squeak, and I have a separate blog post here on the best DIY ways you can fix squeaky floors: https://floorfixes.com/how-to-fix-squeaky-floors/ Hope this helps!
I have floating floors and the squeak in every room,any suggestions?
We purchased a new home 4 years ago and the wood floors squeak everywhere and it continues to get worse. I spoke with a local flooring company and they said replacement. Have you heard of trying epoxy to fix squeaky floors with subfloor problems? I really don’t want to have to replace our floors. It’s a new home.
Hi Morgan. When squeaks are spread throughout an entire house, it may in fact warrant replacement. Epoxy and other remedies can be effective in specific areas. You may consider which areas of the home you can tolerate some squeaking (areas you don’t walk on that much) and try an epoxy fix on high traffic areas.
I live in a 15-year-old log home that is heated by water circulating through all three floors, basement, main floor and loft. The loft floor has one-quarter inch laminate simulated pine flooring. The problem that I have is that the loft flooring makes “clunk” noise from below whenever someone walks on the floor. This “clunk or thump” noise is quite annoying and I wonder if there’s a solution to eliminate these sounds?
Hi Charles! Many laminate floors suffer from noise when they are installed over a subfloor that isn’t flat. The “clunk or thump” noise may be the sounds of boards that are moving as they are being stepped on. The noise could also be coming from some loose parts of your loft subfloor. Either way, if you can find where the movement is coming from by paying close attention to any boards that are moving as you walk on them then you will know what needs to be fastened or fixed to get rid of the noise. If the noise is coming from the subfloor, you may need to replace your floor to solve the problem. If that is the route you end up going, you can also add some acoustic underlayment that will provide additional sound protection from walking noises. Good luck!