Squeaking hardwoods

30/06

Twelve Pointer
The other flooring thread got me thinking. I have a place in my kitchen right in front of the stove where the hardwoods squeak terribly. All you flooring guys, how do I fix this? Can’t get to it from below. Not much bothers me but this drives me crazy when cooking dinner.

Any suggestions or someone that can fix it? This is in Raleigh.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
If floors are sealed then how does baby powder or graphite work? Our floors were redone less than a year ago. There is still a good coating over the top.

Heard it’s supposed to get better in summer when humidity makes wood swell but it doesn’t get better by season.
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The wood is moving. If it is sealed, I don't know of anything you can do from the surface. And you said it can't be accessed from the bottom, so it would take someone much more knowledgeable than I to help, as I can't offer any suggestions. Good luck.
 

brownisdown

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
If you can't get to it from the bottom to get a screw in it the only way to keep it from squeaking is don't walk on it.
 

beard&bow

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Small drill bit. Drill to the subfloor. Collect the dust from the drill hole. Marinade syringe full of wood glue into the hole. Mix dust with wood glue at floor surface.

Don't sue me if it doesn't work. That is a solution that I have never used, but I would feel comfortable trying it.
 

roundball

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Not an expert here what-so-ever.....just guessing.....the sub-floor may not be nailed / screwed tight to the floor joists, flexng when you walk over it...allowing the hardwood to squeak.

Maybe you could get underneath and look in that area for a possibility to tap a thin shim between the bottom of the sub floor and a floor joist...pure guess-work on my part.
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
Try I think its called squeak no more.......I will google it. I used to sell them and everyone said they worked.

 

Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
The topical treatment is if the planks were rubbing and you could get between them. The breakaway screws are the best options. Just have a slight bit to fill
 

nchunter

Twelve Pointer
Try I think its called squeak no more.......I will google it. I used to sell them and everyone said they worked.

This. ^
If you’re not confident where the joists are pull the stove and start there to find it, then move out to the problem spot.
 

drhunter2

Button Buck
I think the squeek no more I posted are break away screws
I've used it through carpet and it does have break away screws. It works good if you can find a joist. The other way I've done it is drill a small hole to the subfloor and then drive a small finish nail. Bury it with a nail set, put the sawdust/glue mixture on top if you want, you're finished! It works
 

agsnchunt

Old Mossy Horns
I've used it through carpet and it does have break away screws. It works good if you can find a joist. The other way I've done it is drill a small hole to the subfloor and then drive a small finish nail. Bury it with a nail set, put the sawdust/glue mixture on top if you want, you're finished! It works

make sure any nail you use is a ring shank and whatever you do, get some adhesive in there.

If you’re on first floor and a conventional foundation, I would go at it from below with screws and glue. If second floor I would take the suggestions you’ve given. If you’re uncomfortable a wood floor guy can fix you up in an hour.

If it’s a subfloor nail squeaking on a joist, a counter snap breakaway screw will solve it. These screws have two sets of threads in opposite directions. The threads pull the floor down against the subfloor and joist, then the head pops off. You don’t really need to fill the hole (although sawdust and glue does work) it will be so small and dark it’s unnoticeable, dirt and grime hep over time.

Whatever you do, if you run a fastener through the face of you hardwoods, the next time you sand, finisher needs to know where it is when he sands or he’s gonna be irritated about destroying a $100-200 belt.
 

waitup

Four Pointer
I've had good luck with this stuff on engineered flooring. Seems to be out of stock everywhere now though:


Edit: This will only help if the floor itself is squeaking. If it's the subfloor or something under the subfloor, you will have to take a more invasive approach.
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
70% of my house creaks and cracks. The original hardwood in 3 rooms doesn’t make a sound, but the prefinished that was installed most everywhere else is like walking on rice crispys. I hate it, but I don’t hate it bad enough to replace it $$$$$
 

agsnchunt

Old Mossy Horns
70% of my house creaks and cracks. The original hardwood in 3 rooms doesn’t make a sound, but the prefinished that was installed most everywhere else is like walking on rice crispys. I hate it, but I don’t hate it bad enough to replace it $$$$$

I like three kinds of floors, wood, stone, and concrete. Everything else is second place.
 

witler

Eight Pointer
If floors are not sealed, try baby powder. If floors are sealed and you have adequate crawl space, get under squeaky area, run a screw through subfloor into flooring.
If you have in floor heat registers, pull one to measure length of screw needed.
Can also drill very small hole in flooring and nail in small finish nail.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
Thanks all for your suggestions. Given its our “middle” floor (above finished walk out basement) we’d have to cut through the ceiling to get to it. Maybe calling a hardwood guy or get a set of earplugs!
 

surveyor

Old Mossy Horns
Thanks all for your suggestions. Given its our “middle” floor (above finished walk out basement) we’d have to cut through the ceiling to get to it. Maybe calling a hardwood guy or get a set of earplugs!
I have one squeaky spot on a floor I redid recently.

I have enough grandsons I just make one stand there all day so I don't walk on it and get aggravated. Rotate through them Monday through Saturday. Sunday, I just stay out of the room.
 

Dan Apple

Old Mossy Horns
Move the stove out, maybe remove a small section of floor or drill hole, use a prybar to raise floor just a tad to inject or insert the powder Replace stove.
 
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