Most squeaks are the result of the plywood subfloor rubbing against the floor joists. The subfloor, the structural support below the top floor that you walk on, will sometimes shrink over time as the wood dries out, changing the shape slightly and resulting in high-pitched, irritating squeaks. It’s also common on hardwood floors that the top floor itself will squeak. To address squeaks in the top floorboards, skip to the next method. All squeaky boards under tile, linoleum, and other flooring surfaces will need to be fixed from under, either in the crawl space or the basement.
To install one of these joist-subfloor braces, screw the mounting plate to the underside of the subfloor, directly under the squeaking spot. Use the provided screws, or use wood screws small enough to fit in the bracket holes. [2] X Research source Hook the bracket onto the rod provided and attach it to the joist, tightening the mechanism with a wrench until the subfloor is pulled down flush.
If you’ve found the source of the squeak, but don’t see the considerable play between the subfloor boards and the joists, buy a package of small shims and insert them into the gaps that create the sound. Coat shims in carpentry glue, then slide them directly into the gap. Be careful to avoid forcing shims into small spaces and forcing the board back up, making the squeak worse, or translating the squeak to another area. It’s important to always weight the floor from above if you try to do this. [3] X Research source
It’s hard to know how thick the individual layers of the floor are, but you want to be very careful not to drill too far and have a sharp edge sticking out the side of the floor you walk on. To make sure you don’t do this, drill a pilot hole the length of the screws you’ve purchased and make sure you’re safe. Then install the screws normally.
Some kits (Squeak-No-More) are available to use over and through carpeting, without having to remove it and risk damage. The process will be essentially the same, whether you pull up the carpet or not. If you must remove carpeting, pull it up near the squeak and keep it as clean and secure as possible so you can reattach it later with carpet adhesive. If you can pull up a particular segment of carpet along a seam, keeping it secure, that would be the best way of pulling it up, rather than just cutting a segment out from the middle. There’s no easy way to cover up your work, and it might always show, unless you work along a natural seam.
If you don’t have a stud finder, you can use a hammer or another heavy object to tap on the floor and listen. The joists will sound flatter and thinner when you tap on it, while the other side will sound deeper. To be extra-sure, you can drill a pilot hole using a depth-control bit in your variable speed drill to make sure that you’re hitting the joist before you use a screw and come up short.
Some kits will come with break-away screws that you can use to make the repair almost undetectable, especially through carpet. This is a very effective way of securing your boards cleanly and efficiently. [6] X Research source
You can match the tone of most wood putty to the wood tone of the floor. try to get it as close as possible. If you’re carpeting back over it, don’t worry about using wood putty.
