Squeaky Floors: How to Eliminate Squeaks from above the Stairs

If you find that you have squeaky floors above the stairs in your home, then you will need to fix this problem quickly. It can become very annoying when you repeatedly trigger squeaks and similar noises on your floor, and they may even disturb people when they are trying to sleep. Squeaky floors are caused by loose boards rubbing against other boards, or a joist, or some other part of the flooring. This rubbing occurs due to weight being placed upon the boards, and then removed quickly. In order to prevent the squeaky floors from making a noise, you have to remove the boards, and fix any looseness.

Step 1 - Locate the Problem

Start by finding the loose board on your floor. You need to have a friend walk up and down on the boards while you listen and look at the boards. You may be able to see one squeaking from a comfortable position, or you may have to lie down so that you can see the boards at eye level. Once you have located the source of the squeaky floor, you should then be able to fix it quickly and easily.

Step 2 - Secure the Joists

If the sound is coming from below the stairs, then you should begin by securing the joists. Take a piece of lumber which is large enough, and place this between your joists. Hold the wood in place, and then use some small nails to secure it to the joists. You can then add a wood glue or other adhesive to make sure that the wood is completely fixed to the joists. You should also have replacement bridges which you can secure to the joists in order to support them, and prevent movement.

Step 3 - Add Brackets

Take a set of aluminum brackets, and secure these below the floor. You should place these between the joists and the subfloor. You need to drive the screw into the bracket carefully, so that the aluminum piece is securely held, but there are no screw marks on the floor. You can then attach it to the joist, which will help to keep both subfloor and joist in position. If necessary, use a set of brackets throughout the room.

Step 4 - Screw in the Floor

If you find that the problem is in the floor boards themselves, take some ordinary screws, and drive them up through the subfloor from below your room. You need to make sure that you know the distance between your subfloor and the wood floor above, as you want to avoid pushing the screw through the entire way. It is a good idea to put weights down on the floor before you start adding screws, as these will keep the boards flat so that you don't have to add finishing screws to the top surface to prevent the wooden floorboards from rubbing against each other.