Question:

I purhcased a 6 year old bungalow last year and have a problem with squeaky floors. The floor is particle board and the joints go 90 degrees to the floor joist. Is there anything I can do to eleminate the squeaks? The basement is unfinished so I have access from underneath.

Answer:

If its hardwood flooring, you might spread talcum powder on it and sweep it across the grooves to quiet the squeaks but if it is sub-flooing you want rectify, try this: Sub-flooring that squeaks and is covered by carpets can often be corrected by probing for joists with a 2.5-inch, spiral, finishing nail. When a joist is found, a nail of the same size is driven in every three inches or so for a couple of feet. That done, probing can continue for joists running parallel to the first one. These are normally 12 to 16 inches on either side and can be nailed in the same fashion as the first. Finishing nail heads will go through carpet and under-pad without damaging either and at the same time, they'll hold quite well. If you have no carpets, or other floor coverings, you can drive 1.5" plywood screws through the sub-flooring into the joists every 6 to 8 inches in the field of the sheet and every 3 to 4 inches along the butted edges.

Answered By: Ren Molnar

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