If you have squeaky old floors in your home, there’s no need to continue with the irritating ‘music.’ You can do something about it and get rid of the annoying sound. There are a number of things you can do about it – from calling up the professionals to fixing it yourself.
There are two immediate things that you can do when you notice the sounds:
• If the sound comes from the ground floor over the basement, you can locate the gaps between the subfloor and the joists and fill them with wood shim pieces. You will have to get below and locate the gaps by having someone walk over the floor. This could be a tedious job!
• If a larger area of the floor squeaks, it will be difficult to locate the gaps. In this case you can make use of steel bridging to make sure that the joists and subfloor don't shift.
If the sound is coming from an upper level floor and you have a sealed subfloor, it will be best to get the help of a professional.
Using Screws to Fix Squeaky Floors
A longer-lasting fix for those squeaky old floors could be to drive a screw through the joist and wood shim into the subfloor. Use a sheet metal/drywall screw for the purpose. Make sure that it is of the perfect length. Neither should it be too short nor be too long. There are disadvantages to both.
If however the floor has excess give or movement, it will be required to nail the floor. Because he latest wooden floors use the tongue and groove system, make sure that the nails don't cause any cracks in the tongues. The right way to secure the floor will be to ensure that the nails be located at least 0.5-inch away from the edge and they be angled away from the edge.
It is recommended to use 6d/8d spiral flooring nails to strongly hold the floor and the subfloor together. Every effort should be made to avoid cracks in the wood and prevent the nails from breaking. You could pre-drill to protect the nails from breaking. The drill bit could be slightly smaller than the nail’s shank. Make sure that you only pre-drill through the floor and not through the subflooring. The squeaky area must be under constant downward pressure during the task.
Make use of the nailset so that the nailhead goes blow the floor surface . the hole can be filled with wax wood filler that matches the color of the floor. If you can, then drive the nails into the floor beams.
Blocking
As the name suggests, blocking involves using a small piece of wood for stabilizing the flooring at the joist. If you don't want to screw through the floor, this can be the ideal alternative. Besides, it offers you more strength and doesn't require you to make guesses when it comes to the length of the screw.
Bridging
Bridging involves installing a tiny piece of wood under the squeaking seam. It will go between 2 different layers of subfloor. It can be glued or screwed in place. You should be using this method if the squeaks are originating from between the joists. A good example, will be when the seams within the subfloor move against each other.
If you find it too complicated to work around with the squeaky floor yourself, it will be best to get the help of the experts. it will be better to let the professionals handle it rather than making mistakes and paying a heavier price with costlier repairs.
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