Kitchen Table Fix

How to Fix a Squeaky Floor

Find what is rubbing under the floor and quiet it with screws or shims, from above or from the basement, without damaging the floor.

By Creig Boyd Jr., maintenance technician · Updated · Reviewed by Creig Boyd Jr. on

Skill
Intermediate
Time
1 to 3 hours
Cost
$10 to $30
You will need
Stud finder, Drill and bits, Trim-head or squeak-fixing screws, Wood shims and wood glue (for fixing from below), Powdered graphite or talcum powder (for a quick try), Flashlight and a pencil

A squeak is almost always a small movement between two pieces of wood. The fix is to stop the movement. If you can get under the floor, it is easy. From above, it takes more care, because you are working on a finished surface.

Step 1: Find the squeak and what is under it

  1. Walk the floor slowly and mark each squeak with painter's tape or a pencil. Have a helper walk while you listen from below, if you can reach the underside.
  2. Find the joists. Squeaks usually come from where the subfloor meets a joist. A stud finder can locate them, or look for the rows of nails or screws in the floor.

Before you drill anything, be sure of what is under the spot. Pipes, cables and heating tubes can be right below the floor. If you have radiant heating in the floor, or you cannot tell, stop and ask a professional.

Step 2: Try the easy fix first

  1. Work powdered graphite or talcum powder into the seams between the squeaky boards, and walk on it to push it in. If the noise stops, you are done.

Step 3: If you can get under the floor (the best way)

Look from the basement or crawlspace with a flashlight, while a helper stands on the squeak.

  1. Look for a gap between the subfloor and the top of a joist, where you can see the wood move.
  2. Put a thin wood shim with a little wood glue into the gap, and tap it in gently until it is snug. Do not hammer it in hard, because that can lift the floor and create a new squeak.
  3. Or drive a screw up through the joist into the subfloor, using a screw that is short enough that it will not poke through the top of the floor.
  4. Wipe off any extra glue and let it dry before putting weight on it.

Step 4: If you can only work from above

  1. Use trim-head screws or a squeak-fixing kit made for this job. They are designed to snap off below the surface of the floor.
  2. Drill a small pilot hole at the squeak, directly over a joist, and drive the screw in until the head is just below the surface. Use a screw long enough to reach the joist, but not so long that it goes through.
  3. Fill the small hole with wood filler that matches the floor, and sand it flush.

On a hardwood floor, do this in a spot that will be hidden by a rug or furniture, if you can.

Common mistakes

  • Using regular long nails or screws. They split the wood and leave ugly heads.
  • Screwing into the wrong place. Screws that miss the joist do nothing.
  • Hammering in shims too hard. That lifts the floor and moves the squeak.

When it is not just a squeak

Sagging, bouncing or a floor that feels spongy are not noises to silence. They can mean rot, damaged joists or a failing support. See the list below.

Stop and call a professional if…

  • You have heating tubes or electric cables in the floor (radiant heat). Do not drive screws into it.
  • The floor sags, bounces, or feels soft, or you see cracks in walls or ceilings nearby. That points to a structural problem, not a squeak.
  • The flooring is old vinyl tile or sheet flooring from decades ago. It may contain asbestos, so do not drill, sand or cut it until it has been tested.
  • You cannot tell what is under the spot you want to drill, or you find pipes or wires there.

Would rather have someone else handle it?

If you are in Essex County, Massachusetts, PrimeFix Solutions does drywall and interior repairs, doors, locks and hardware, and small carpentry.

Ask for a free estimate (978) 417-2042

Full disclosure: PrimeFix Solutions is my own business, so I benefit if you hire them. They do not do regulated trades such as electrical, gas and most plumbing, so for those jobs call a licensed professional.

Common questions

What causes a floor to squeak?

Wood rubbing against wood or against a nail. As a house changes with the seasons, the subfloor can lift slightly off the joists, and the gap lets the boards move and squeal when someone steps on it.

Will baby powder really work?

Sometimes. Working powdered graphite or talcum powder into the seam between boards can quiet a squeak caused by two boards rubbing. It is a fast and harmless first try, but it does not fix a loose subfloor.

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