What Stops a Wood Floor From Squeaking?

Powdered Graphite

• Powered graphic can reduce or eliminate the friction between floorboards that cause the squeaking. This light power is a fast and affordable method for fixing noisy wood floors. Simply sprinkle it over the site of the squeak and cover it with towels. By stepping on the towels and squeaking area, you can force the powder into the areas between the floorboards. Cleanup is also easy: Just remove the towels, vacuum up the excess powder and you're finished.

Nailing Floorboards

• Some squeaks require more work when it comes to repairs. If you have extremely loose floorboards in your wood floor, they can rub against one another and create a loud noise. This condition will require you to secure the boards to the subfloor with nails or screws. It's not the most aesthetic option, but it will fix the problem quickly. By inserting nails or screws into the squeaky area, you will reduce or eliminate the movement of the boards under feet and put an end to the squeaking.

Shims

• If the squeak in your wood floor is resulting from a board moving up and down upon receiving pressure from the weight of a person or object, the best fix may involve a shim --- a thin piece of tapered wood you can tap under the subfloor and the floor joists from the floor below. Insert the thin end of the shim and tap it into place; the floorboard will rise to meet the rest of the wood floor, eliminating the board's ability to move up and down. However, take care not to raise the board too much, which could also cause boards to rise and squeak.

Bridging the Subfloor

• The actual wood floor itself may not actually be causing the squeaks; the plywood subfloor could actually be the culprit. In this case, take steps to prevent the seams of the subfloor from rubbing against one another and creating unwanted noise. You can accomplish this task with bridging, which involves securing a 3/4-inch piece of plywood within the seam of the subfloor. This process can become a little more time consuming than other methods but is a good option if nothing else works.