It is one of those jobs that is put at the bottom of the “to do” list but a squeaky floor can be really annoying, especially in the middle of the night! Luckily it is a really simple job that requires very little skill, cost or time, perfect for a DIY novice!
Follow these quick and easy steps to squeak free flooring.
You will need: talcum powder or chalk, a damp cloth, drill, screwdriver and 50mm or 60mm screws.
You may need: 25×50mm batten, wide-bladed cold chisel and a club hammer
Identify the problem area.
Squeaky floorboards are cause by friction, the friction of floorboards rubbing against each other, a joist or against a nail. Stop the friction, stop the squeak.
First of all you need to identify which of the floorboards are squeaky. Remove all of your floor coverings and walk slowly over your floorboards one at a time. This should pinpoint the problem areas. If there are a few problem floorboards it might be worth marking the boards with chalk to identify them later.
Apply some powder.
Once you have identified a squeaky board, liberally sprinkle talcum powder or chalk dust all the way around the edge of the board and brush in between the cracks, put a little extra powder over nails. The idea is that the powder will reduce the friction and stop the squeak. Remove any excess powder using a damp cloth, don’t vacuum the area as this could remove most of the newly applied powder and the squeak might return!
Screw it down.
If the problem continues it is time to screw the end of the board to the joist to reduce the movement and reduce the friction. Take a 50mm or a 60mm screw and drill pilot holes into the wood at the end of the boards (screwing pilot holes should prevent the wood from splitting). Try to screw as near to the existing nails as possible. Screwing next to the existing nails should guarantee that you screw into a joist and avoid pipes and electrics that might run under the floorboards. Screwing the board down should stop the board from rubbing against the joist or other boards, stopping the friction and the squeak.
No joist supporting the floorboard?
If the board end isn’t supported by a joist, don’t worry. Start by taking the board up, very carefully, by prising it up with a cold chisel and a club hammer. Attach a piece of batten 25×50mm to the joist, by screwing it in place. This batten will act in place of the joist and support the floor board. Finally lay the board back on top of the batten and fix it with 50mm or 60mm screws. This should limit the movement of the board and stop the squeak.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
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