Squeaky Floor

PipeGuy

My house was built in 1966 - 67. I've come to think, after numerous DIY improvements, that all the tradesman were out-of-country during those years, attending to matters in SE Asia. There are too many irregulariities to be explained otherwise.
One of the problems that has manifested itself over the years is sqeaky hardwood floors. In my bedroom I can actually feel the flooring deflect under my weight. In many of the rooms gaps have opened between the flooring that are wide enough to put coins in. What can be done to secure the flooring to the underlying joists (2 x 8's). Why does the flooring seperate? Who wrote the book of ...

mtp

You don't want the answer to this

PipeGuy

Move? Now?! Let me clarify, the flooring does not squeak throughout the house or uniformly in any one room - just in spots. In my bedroom the deflection seems to be most prominent in a strip about 2' wide and 6' long, perpendicular to the flooring and parallel to the joist runs. Butt joint plywood beneath between joist bays?

mtp

lose weight or ripe out and replace

PipeGuy

Hey!!!!!! I'm not that big. (though it squeaks only slightly beneath the weight of my funny little honey who's not much over 100#).

mtp

Can you get to the subfloor from under? you could try some short screws and glue from the bottem

PipeGuy

Yes I can - right after I remove the dining room ceiling I think see where this is going. Squeaky floors actually lend character to an old house, don't they?

PipeGuy

I wonder if my Paslode framing nailer will drive a 3-1/2 nail through the flooring and subflooring and into the joist? Maybe a countersunk hole first? Admittedly not the prettiest thing you ever saw but...

mtp

Forsner bit screws and plugs.......... make a pattern

trekr

I've seen (but never used) screws that are designed such that the heads pop off when you drive them. This lets you drive through the face and leaves a much smaller hole to fill. Might be worth a shot..

magnum

a little KY works in those gaps. My gap only squeaks when shes tired. Or you might want to try trim screws and mix some wood puddy with matching stain to hide the hole. Predrill all for all srews to keep the floor from splitting.

JustaFramer

Drill a hole half way of less thought the hardwood floor the screw. Next used a dowel to cover up the hole. Oviously use a drill bit and screw that match the dowel width. cut dowel flush or close sand and laquer (or what ever).

PipeGuy

Why does the flooring seperate?

JustaFramer

Over the years the fastener rusts, the board shrinks and swells and over time it will contract and never go back to original size. Leaving the fastener weak.

I am doing a remodel on a 100 year old house right now and most on the nails are brittle if they didn't rust. I bent one over with my finger and it snapped.

JustaFramer

It just came to me a trapeze head screw with the #1 screw head might work great. I used them on a trek deck. After I mashed the trek back over the hole you can't see the hole.

hammer11379

I have read about some sucess using baby powder swept in from above to help with hardwood squeaks. May be worth a try. Its easy and Cheap.

wizendwizard

Wow this thread is soon to reach it's 5th birthday.

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Rio

From what you've described it sounds to me like the joists might be overspanned and deflecting too much. If this is the case there might be several solutions depending on the layout. If it's over a crawlspace or a basement and you don't mind the intrusion you can put a beam under the joists at mid span and stiffen it that way. If maintaining the headroom is important you might be able to shore the joists, then cut them and slip a flush beam in. Another solution might be to sister up the joists with another joist to stiffen them.

If what is deflecting is just the wood flooring then it's likely that the span between the joists was too much for the flooring, maybe 24" o.c. instead of 16" o.c., or a subfloor wasn't put down first. If that's the case then the suggestion of putting in plywood under the flooring in the bays might work well to stiffen the assembly.

samccard

I wonder how far those 2x8 floor joist are spanning? Could be some of the cause. You could take out the squeaking pieces and reinstall with adhesive and finish nails. Might help.

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RobQuillin

One of the simplest solutions I have come accross is to drill a pilot hole in the wood at about a 30 degree angle and drive a finish nail into it and then do the same thing in the other direction. Then take wood filler that matches the floor and fill the holes. The nails in opposite directions work against each other therefore not letting the floor loosten up. As far as the gaps are concerned I would play around with the air conditioning and see if it is humidity related or not.