Squeaky Floors? 5 DIY Solutions for ANY FLOOR!, by LRN2DIY on YouTube. 11 min 9 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 9 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Walk the floor slowly and press down with your foot to find each squeak. Mark the spots with tape so you know exactly where to work.
For carpet, pull the carpet back from the wall with a knee kicker. Lift the pad and locate the joists under the subfloor with a stud finder.
Drill pilot holes through the subfloor into the joists, then drive 1 1/2 inch deck screws down tight. Stop when the screw head sits just below the surface.
On hardwood, use a squeak repair kit to snap off screws below the surface. Drive them at an angle through the board into the joist.
Fill the small holes with wood filler matched to your floor color. Let it dry, then sand flush and touch up the finish.
If you can reach the floor from below, have a helper press down on the squeak while you drive a screw up through the subfloor into the board.
For gaps between boards and joists, tap wood shims coated in wood glue into the gap. Snap off the excess once the glue sets.
Re-stretch the carpet over the tack strip and press it back under the baseboard. Walk the floor again to check for leftover squeaks.
Tips and common mistakes
Always check for pipes and wires under the floor before driving long screws.
Predrill hardwood to stop the boards splitting.
Fix squeaks before laying new flooring so you do not have to pull it up later.
Wear safety glasses when driving screws overhead from a crawlspace.
Questions
Can I fix a squeaky floor without pulling up the carpet?
Yes. A squeak repair kit drives screws through the carpet and snaps them off below the surface, so you only need to fill tiny holes.
Why does my floor squeak only in winter?
Dry winter air shrinks the wood, opening small gaps that let boards rub. Humidifying the room or adding shims can reduce it.
What if the squeak is between two boards, not over a joist?
Work wood glue into the gap and weight it down until dry, or drive a screw at an angle to pull the boards together.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
