How to Fix Creaky Floors Under Carpet in an Apartment

Locate the floor joists under the carpeted floor by tapping it with a hammer every few inches. Listen for a hollow thud the hammer makes when it hits the floor, indicating the presence of a joist.

Insert a joist-finding bit into the drill. Composed of a long shaft, this bit allows you to drill a tiny hole through carpeting that is barely visible.

Drill a hole through the carpet and subfloor where it made a thud when tapped. If the drill bit slides out through the hole easily, you haven’t hit a joist. Move a few inches away from the hole and drill another hole through the carpet. The spot where the drill bit offers resistance when you pull it out marks a joist location.

Position the tip of a tape measure over this spot and measure 16 inches along any side to locate the next joist. Drill a hole through the 16-inch mark and observe any resistance the drill bit offers when you tug it out. If it comes out easily, measure 16 inches in another direction from the previous joist location and continue the process of locating other joists along the carpeted floor.

Place the tripod over the floor joist location. This tripod allows the drill to insert the special joist-tightening screw only to a certain depth.

Stand as close to the tripod as you can, positioning it between your feet. Drill the joist-tightening screw straight into the joist. The screw does not go all the way through the carpet, but its head stands out by a few inches. Repeat the process of inserting the screws through the floor, into the corners of the room.

Wrap a length of colored string around one screw head and pull it taut to the opposite screw head at the other corner of the room. Extend the string to the adjacent screw and wrap it around the screw head before extending it to the opposite screw. Pull the string to the adjacent screw before extending it down the other end to another screw. Repeat this process all along the floor so you see the outlines of the joists.

Use the string as a guide to screw the joist-tightening screws into the carpeted floor every 8 inches. Drill the screws through the tripod after anchoring it between your feet.

Hook the special attachment along the side of the tripod into the screw heads protruding from the carpet and snap their heads off to break the excess screw length. This practice hides the screws, so they are neither visible nor felt. The joist-tightening screws are designed to break away in the same spot.