Upstairs Noise From Hardwood Floors

Friction Creaking

• The most common cause of creaky hardwood floors comes from the shrinkage of the wooden planks over time. The planks rub up against each other as they shrink and people walk over them, which creates friction and, thus, the creaky noises. The shrinkage could be accelerated by extreme temperatures or if the planks get wet and dry quickly.

Giving Boards

• The other cause of squeaky hardwood floors is a "give" in the floorboards over time. The weak planks could depress under the weight of a person. They will make a groaning, creaky noise if there is space between the top of the beams under the floor and the bottom of the floorboard.

Friction Squeak Solution

• A temporary solution for fixing noises caused by shrinkage and friction involves placing either talc or ultra-fine graphite powder between the squeaky planks to fill in the gap. There are squeak-stopping kits available from hardware stores that come with these powders, as well as special putty one can apply in the gap to stop the planks from rubbing up against each other.

Giving Boards Solution

• Fixing boards that give or bend downward is a little more involved than simply filling in the gaps with powder. In many cases, they will not be fixable unless the the beams are exposed near the ceiling, like in a basement. The procedure for fixing these types of squeaks involves jamming a wooden shim in between the beam and the bending floorboard. This will stop the floor from giving under pressure, stopping the squeaks.