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Silence Squeaky Wooden Floors With These Clever DIY Solutions
By ASHLEY HANSON
Shim
A shim — a thin piece of wood designed to fill in spaces or make a surface level — is great if there's a gap between the floorboards and the underlying joist.
Pinpoint the squeak's location, take a shim, coat one side with wood glue, and insert it into the gap between the joist and the floor. Wait an hour before walking on it.
Nails
Nailing down the squeaky boards will stop the noise. Use 2-inch finishing nails to attach the boards to the subfloor, then countersink the nails just below the wood's surface.
Put wood filler over the nail heads to fill the holes, picking one that matches your flooring. Gently smooth it into place with a putty knife, and let it dry to secure the boards.
Adhesive
Construction adhesive is best for removing squeaky floors where you can get to the floor’s underside. Start by finding the joists or beams that support your floorboards.
Get a caulking gun, apply the construction adhesive along the top of each joist where it meets your subfloor, and spread the adhesive evenly to cover the whole joist's length.
Screws
To fix your squeaky floors without getting under them, use squeak-reduction screws, which are uniquely engineered to tightly secure your floorboards to the joists.
Carefully position the squeak-reduction screw so it'll go through the floorboard and the joist, then drive it into the wood until the head sits just below the floorboard's surface.
Squeak Kit
To remove squeaks in rooms with carpeted wooden flooring, use a squeak repair kit. Start by narrowing down the squeaky areas and locating the joists underneath them.
Follow the kit’s directions to insert the alignment and pull the subfloor closer to the floorboards. In turn, this tightens the connection and closes any squeaky gaps.