I have a five year old house and there are a couple of spots where it squeeks very badly. The area underneath is finished and I can't have a peek from the basement. Is there anything I can do to alleviate this problem without lifting the carpet.
Answer:
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.
