How to Repair Squeaking Stairs From Underneath

Squeaking stairs can be annoying. The treads -- the parts you step on -- and the risers, which give stairs their height, can swell or shrink with humidity changes. This creates gaps between the wood and causes them to squeak when they rub together. If you can get underneath the stairs to the stair nose, where the risers meet the treads, you can fix this problem easily.

Graphite powder
Small wood blocks
Carpenter’s glue
Nails
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Puff a small amount of graphite powder into the stair nose, rubbing it in with your fingers. If your squeak is mild, this small amount of lubrication may fix the problem.
- 2
  Apply a thin layer of carpenter’s glue to two sides of a wood block. These sides should be touching one another. You can use scraps of wood or board ends for your wood blocks.
- 3
  Press the glued sides of the wood blocks to the stair nose so that the glued sides come in contact with both the riser and the tread.
- 4
  Pound nails through the block from both the bottom and the side using a hammer and nail. This attaches the block to both the riser and the tread, holding them steady and preventing them from rubbing together.

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General Home Repair