Hardwood Floor Subfloor Squeaking

A solid wood floor is usually fastened with hundreds of nails so squeaks often occur as the floor ages.

Hardwood floor subfloor squeaking.

Floors and stairs squeak when wooden floorboards or structural elements rub against each other when the bridging between joists flexes under traffic or when floorboards have not been properly nailed to the subfloor. But some squeaks aren t caused by nails. Learning how to fix squeaky floors is simply a matter of determining which area the problem is coming from. Although squeaks can be caused by improperly fastening the floor to the subfloor more often squeaks are not caused by defects in the wood or poor workmanship.

What causes squeaky floor boards if you have hardwood floors it is likely that you will someday have squeaks. Therefore you will need to assess the nature of the problem then respond appropriately. How to stop hardwood floors for squeaking. Then when someone walks across the floor the flooring and or subfloor moves up and down and rubs on the nails or screws causing squeaking sounds.

The chances of hearing squeaks from a particle board subfloor are greater if the floor covering is hardwood simply because there are so many more fasteners involved. Screw hardwood flooring from below. The 3 4 inch thick subfloor takes a 2 inch screw. A thicker subfloor takes a 3 inch screw.

Some of the most common causes of a squeaky floor originating from the subfloor system include poorly nailed subfloor sheathing missing joist hangers missing nails or nails that just miss the joist improperly installed subfloor sheathing improper application of subfloor adhesive and excessive shrinkage of subfloor materials. How to fix squeaky hardwood floors from above or below the subfloor. A squeaky hardwood floor is usually caused by floorboards becoming loose. Most squeaks occur as a result of the normal cycle of seasonal contraction.

If the cause of the squeaking is a result of hardwood floors rubbing against the plywood subfloor underneath you can drive a short wood screw up through the bottom of the subfloor and into the. If it s wider not likely but possible the subfloor can be up to 1 1 2 inches thick for a 36 inch span. Fix the problem by installing a long douglas. They come from one edge of a board rubbing on another.