How to Fix a Squeaky Floating Bamboo Flooring

Repairing From Below

• 1

  Sprinkle powdered graphite over the floorboards, paying attention to the seams. The graphite penetrates the seams better than liquid graphite, without creating a mess. Clean the surface of the bamboo flooring with a moist cloth to wipe away the excess powder.

• 2

  Assign a helper to walk over the bamboo floor while you stand in your basement or crawl space and identify the squeaky areas. Inspect the area for loose nails or those that rub against the joists, and cut these off with diagonal cutters.

• 3

  Cover both sides of a wood shim with carpenter’s glue. Slide it into the gap between the subflooring and joist where the floor squeaks.

• 4

  Tap the shim gently to insert it into the gap without applying too much pressure that can push it further and raises the floor slightly. The shim covers the tiny gap in the floating floor, keeping it from shifting and squeaking.

Repairing From Above

• 5

  Mark the spots on the bamboo floor that squeak when walked upon with masking tape.

• 6

  Drill a 3/32-inch hole over each marked spot. Remove the masking tape and discard. If the tape mark is directly over the seam between two adjoining boards, drill two holes, each slightly inward from the board end, as opposed to drilling one through the seam.

• 7

  Replace the bit with a screwdriver bit and drive a 1 1/4-inch wood screw into each hole until its head rests slightly below the surrounding plywood surface. Continue inserting screws into the remaining holes so they anchor the loose boards to the subfloor.

• 8

  Cover the screw heads and holes with wax putty that matches the shade of the surrounding bamboo planks. Mound the putty in the screw hole and scrape excess off with a putty knife so it covers the screw head and falls in line with the surrounding plywood surface. Let the putty dry for the time specified on the label's directions.