The floors are creaking, what should I do? Ways to eliminate creaking wooden floors When a floorboard creaks, what to do

The creaking of floorboards can easily be compared to a toothache from which you urgently want to be cured. Why does this happen, and what to do if wooden floors squeak?

The essence of the problem is easy to understand using the example of floors in high-rise apartments built several decades ago, when floor paving was done using chipboard(chipboard), which was covered with fiberboard (fibreboard). Today, tongue and groove boards are more often used for flooring, with a tenon and groove milled on the opposite edges. A similar technology is used in the manufacture of modern laminate - flooring based on fiberboard high density. Instead of chipboard, today plywood with a thickness of 12 cm is used, which is used as flooring for laying a new floor covering on top of the old one. Sheets of plywood are attached to the old floor with self-tapping screws in increments of 15-20 cm.

The highly prized classic parquet flooring of the Soviet period suffered from similar creaking problems.

Wooden floors have always been distinguished by a lot of advantages - environmental friendliness of the material, high heat and sound insulation, durability - wood serves people for decades, giving the room a special charm. Therefore, the desire to keep it in the interior of the home remains for a long time. Let's look at examples of how to do this.

The essence of the problem

Before eliminating the cause, you need to know it. To do this, we define and study problem areas floor. This will help to do a light walk over the entire surface of the floor, during which you can find the cause either in one floorboard or in a larger area. It is important to determine whether any communications are laid under the creaky area of ​​the floor. After all, for example, electrical wiring sometimes they are placed under the floor rather than in the walls.

When installing floors, logs are used. These are smooth wooden beams, on which the floorboards are laid and then secured. The logs are placed on the so-called pulp - soft covering, which in turn is laid on a concrete or other base for flooring. The pulp may become outdated over time, and therefore sag in selected places, which causes the creaking.

Annoying sounds most often come from individual floorboards, which are the weak link wood flooring. If a large area of ​​floor is unstable, the cause may not be the individual flooring board, but wooden base underneath it, that is, a long joist that has become deformed or cracked. No wonder, the floor is the part of the interior that is subject to the greatest load - daily, constant and dynamic.

The cause of the squeak may be friction of the floorboards, deformation and drying out of joists and floorboards, loosening of the nail connections of floor elements, or lack of clearance at the walls.

If, when examining the floorboards, no defects are found, then the squeaking occurs from their friction against each other. If deformed floorboards are found, it is not at all necessary to get rid of them.

Creaking sound when floorboards are deformed

Such a squeak occurs, for example, under the influence of dampness; it would be logical to get rid of the dampness itself and its source. And then do the following:

• make a paste from components such as paint and sawdust in a ratio of 1:4 (the color of the paint must match the color of the painted floor). Instead of paste, polyurethane foam is also used, although it is less reliable and breaks down faster under load;
• Use ready-made paste to seal all irregularities and cracks;
• After the solution has hardened, make sure there is no creaking.

A floorboard that is rotten or cannot be repaired for other reasons should be replaced with a new one, after first making sure that the joist underneath is intact. We fix a new floorboard of similar thickness and structure in the same way as the rest of the boards, and begin to enjoy the silence.

Creak when floorboards rub

If the cause of the squeak is friction of the floorboards, you must:

• determine the boundaries of the “creaky” area;
• Fill cracks between creaking floorboards with graphite powder.

Note! If the goal is not achieved using graphite powder, drive wooden wedges between the floorboards. Wedges can also be driven between beams and floorboards using a hammer and hammer. The distance between the wedges should be 150 cm. Countersunk screws are used to secure the wedges.

Creak when the pulp sag

If the substrate has lost its properties, proceed as follows:

• in the place of the creaking, use a wire to measure the depth to the concrete by drilling a hole in the floor;
• screw a self-tapping screw, slightly longer than the depth of the hole in the floor, all the way into the concrete, then tighten the self-tapping screw until the creaking disappears;
• cut off the part of the self-tapping screw protruding above the floor surface and sand it;
• varnish or paint the areas where the screw is screwed in.

A similar tightening with self-tapping screws is also used in the case of friction between joists (beams) and floor boards (floorboards). The log is fastened to the board with several self-tapping screws. Instead of a self-tapping screw, you can use a No. 8 screw. The holes for it are directed at an angle to each other, which provides additional rigidity to the connection between the board and the beam. Along with self-tapping screws, more reliable metal anchors are used to fasten the floor to a concrete base.

Creak when beams are loosened

Repairs when beams are weakened are carried out as follows:

• it is necessary to dismantle the floorboards in the place where the creaking is detected;
• prepare bars with a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the beam, with a height of 25 mm less than the height of the beam in case of laying communications; the length of the bar must correspond to the clearance between the beams;
• install bars as spacers to strengthen the beams alternately in the central part of the span between the beams;
• secure the bars at the end with two nails (100 mm); the block is attached to the wall on one side.

Note! It is especially important to eliminate any wobbles in the floor if you decide to cover the wooden floor with linoleum, so that later you do not have to think about what to do if the wooden floors squeak.

If the proposed work is carried out carefully, the problem of creaking floorboards will be solved, and you can breathe a sigh of relief. At first, you may be careful and wary of stepping on your floor, waiting possible creaking, which you will no longer hear. The habit of good things comes quickly, and as a result, comfort will become commonplace for you.

Video

Find out what to pay attention to when repairing a wooden floor in the following video:

All those who live in old private houses often experience the same problem over time - the wooden floor creaks - what to do? in this case We'll tell you in this article. On a positive note In this case, it may be that all the work can be done with your own hands.

Possible causes of squeaks

If logs creak, the following reasons are possible:

• The boards are poorly secured. This fact is the cause of squeaking most often. How to remove creaking floors in this case, you ask. You just need to secure the boards more securely, and self-tapping screws are best for this. Unlike nails, they won't loosen after a while.
• The pads under the joists are loose or incorrectly installed. Over time, the floor in the apartment creaks because the joists become less stable and this becomes evident when walking.
• Formation of gaps between boards. This happens if insufficiently dried wood was used as a raw material during the laying process or it could have dried out after a change of season. In this case, the boards begin to rub against each other, which is accompanied by an unpleasant sound.
• Laying without maintaining a gap between the boards and the wall. In this case, creaks occur due to the fact that a gap of 10 mm was not left from the wall, which is necessary so that the board can expand freely during changes in the microclimate. As a result, the boards swell or swell - a squeak appears at the wall at the point of contact with them.

Naturally, squeaks can also occur if some of these factors are combined. In order to understand how to remove the creaking of a wooden floor, you need to understand its nature. Often, a simple inspection is enough, but sometimes it may be necessary to remove a couple of boards to determine the condition of the joists.

Now you need to understand what to do to prevent floors from squeaking if they are made of plywood. An additional reason that causes squeaks may be intersheet friction. Since the installation of the sheet covering is carried out in compliance with the gaps, which are soon covered with putty, this is why such side issues arise.

Getting rid of floor squeaks

Screwing the floorboard

In the old days, there were probably no boards that were not attached to the floor with nails. Such floors still exist and many of them have not been repaired for decades. It can be assumed that most of the nails have become loose and need to be replaced with modern, effective fastening in the form of self-tapping screws.

Sequence of scrolling the floor:

• Initially, you need to find out the thickness of the lag. This can be done by drilling a hole in the floor and measuring the length to the base. You can go the other way - remove one floorboard. The screws should be 1.5 cm shorter than the combined length of the floorboard and joists.

If you decide to use a screwdriver instead of an electric drill, then it must be powerful enough and have a capacious battery, otherwise the repair process will be significantly delayed.

• If the screwdriver cannot screw in the screws, you can drill holes for them before installation. It is not necessary to remove old nails if they do not interfere.
• The logs are usually located at a distance of 600 mm from each other. To understand how many screws you should purchase, you need to multiply the number of joists by the number of boards located across the entire width.
• Next, everything is tritely simple - you need to screw all the boards tightly, while the caps should be hidden. If you can still hear creaks somewhere, then these places need to be marked so that they can be further secured later.
• Next comes leveling the surface using plywood. It is also attached to the floor with self-tapping screws in increments of 150-200 mm. If you screw them in less often, they may become loose.

Gaps between boards

If there are gaps between the boards that cause the floors to creak, what can you do without disassembling them? In this case, fix them using wooden wedges.

Sequence of operations:

• plan wooden wedges from wood, determining right size;
• cover them with glue and hammer them into the gap, the wedges should fit tightly;
• After the glue has dried, the excess part of the wedges can be cut off flush with the base.

The disadvantage of this method is that the rail must be adjusted to the size of the slots each time, and this is very time-consuming.

It’s easier to use a cord instead of a rail:

• You will need to buy a braided cord with a synthetic base. Next, it is impregnated with wood glue or PVA glue, and using a core or punch, the cord is driven between the boards to about half their thickness.
• The upper part of the cracks is filled with homemade putty, which includes sawdust and PVA glue. It should have a paste-like consistency.
• The putty should be applied with a slight excess so that after drying, the excess can be cut off flush with the main floor. When replacing the floor in a Khrushchev house with your own hands, slightly different methods are used.

Restoring regular floorboards

Not everyone knows what to do if the floor in the apartment creaks, in the case when an ordinary board was used to make such a floor.

The creaking occurs because the floorboards begin to sag during loading, since nearby boards do not hold them in any way.

What to do to prevent wooden floors from creaking in this case is to fasten the boards to one another.

You will need a long drill, wooden dowels and the following sequence of actions:

• Make a hole in the board under acute angle so that it reaches the adjacent board.
• Cover the dowel with PVA glue and drive it into drilled hole. It should penetrate about 50% of each board.
• The second hole should be made in the other direction in a nearby board after 200-300 mm. Thanks to this, the dowels will support the boards in the same way as tongue-and-groove ones.

Deformation gap

A 10 mm gap should be provided around the entire perimeter in case of temperature changes. If you have removed the baseboards and found wedges under them, they must be removed. If there is no gap at all, then you will need to remove the outer boards and shorten them, and then attach them back.

Loose logs

If, after checking, it turns out that the joists are not installed entirely correctly, then in such cases, it is often necessary to re-construct the floor, be it in an apartment or a private house. There are times when this problem occurs in a specific place, it is easier to solve - you just need to remove part of the sheathing and replace the pads under the joists or on them.

It is worth noting that the logs should not be fixed to the base, thus deteriorating the soundproofing qualities of the floor.

Thickness of boards and spacing between joists

If the wooden floor in your apartment creaks, what should you do if this happens when you move across it? This happens when the board is laid too thin or the distance between the lags is insufficient.

You should take the dimensions of the problem floor and compare them with the required indicators. If the difference is very large, then you will need to redo the floor, providing it with intermediate boards to ensure sufficient structural strength.

The problem can be partially solved by adding additional supports between the joists, but you need to understand that this solution is temporary.

You will need to do the following:

• Large screws will be needed to ensure the boards are securely fastened together.
• The length of the screws should not be less than the distance from the top of the board to the concrete screed.
• Make a hole with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the screw. The excess length of the self-tapping screw must be cut off.
• The self-tapping screw should be screwed in until it reaches the concrete base.
• Self-tapping screws must be cut so that they are not sharp, otherwise they will quickly damage concrete screed and will no longer support sagging boards.

Bottom line

It is worth remembering that laying flooring over a squeaky floor will not save the situation; annoying sounds will not go away. In any case, measures will be needed to restore the floor; it is better to do this in advance.

Especially when it comes to wooden materials.

There are several reasons for this problem, but if desired, it can be easily dealt with on your own.

One of the most important reasons– deformation of the material while the drying process is underway.

If initially the humidity was more than 12 percent, then over time warping cannot be avoided.

Absence optimal characteristics often leads to this.

There are other reasons that lead to this:

• The strength of connections has been reduced. Gradually fasteners are starting to loosen. At the same time, the contraction density begins to decrease individual parts made of wood.
• Reducing the gap connecting the boards to the walls. Even a small friction force is enough to cause a squeak to appear.
• The appearance of rot and fungus. They appear where there is constant support high level humidity. As a result, the material continues to deform further.
• The rigidity of the structure was weakened. The free movement of parts relative to each other begins if their fit remains free.

The creaking also appears due to mistakes that were made during. Of the most common, it is worth noting:

• A situation where the logs are installed incorrectly, and between load-bearing beams too much distance is being created.
• The choice of thickness regardless of the operating conditions.

The algorithm for subsequent actions to correct the problem is chosen depending on what the cause was.

Tools and accessories

The type of repair work determines what equipment will be needed in the future. The minimum list of tools will consist of:

• Drills. Needed to create holes.
• Marker or chalk. Other types help to mark places where additional fastenings are required.
• Axe. Will be needed when adjusting beams or wedges. Otherwise, they will not be able to boast the correct, appropriate size.
• Hammer. Fixes individual elements, if you use nails together with it.
• Hacksaws for sawing board linings.
• A nail puller, without which it is impossible to understand how to prevent the floors from creaking in the apartment.

You may also need additional equipment such as cement or a mixture for plastering works, glue or dry wood, screws, bars.

What methods to use

Completely going through a floor built on a wooden base is the longest and takes the most effort.

It is chosen if too many defects appear on the surface.

And if you can’t get rid of them by carrying out only local work.

In this situation, a full check of the elements that have been damaged becomes mandatory.

If necessary, they are replaced with new ones. If the floor is laid on a concrete base, the procedure will look like this: :

• They start by securing the lag to the base from. To do this, you need to take a drill with a drill bit for working with wooden base. And a hammer drill. Thanks to these tools, holes are created with the most accurate, suitable dimensions.
• Then you need to drive the anchor into the hole using a hammer. The part needs to be opened.
• After that it fits itself batten. We use a hacksaw or an electric jigsaw so that there is no connection with the structure near which the structure is fixed.
• We fix the floorboards on the joists. Self-tapping screws are used for this. The hats must be recessed until they are level with the floor itself.

It’s easier to get rid of the problem without disassembling the structure. It is suitable for both regular boards and parquet boards.

We work with regular wooden floors

Wooden wedges can be used if creaking occurs due to the fact that the boards are poorly secured or deformation of some areas. Wedges are driven into the space between the floorboards. This helps eliminate friction, even minimal friction.

If the damage is more serious, then self-tapping screws are used for additional fastening.

• First you need to identify the areas that have become sources unpleasant sound. They are marked with ordinary chalk.
• Next are the areas where the logs are located. The nails in the entire structure are taken as a guide. Or you can remove the boards that are in the extreme position.
• Holes are drilled in the floorboards, with a step of no more than 15 centimeters between parts. Compared to self-tapping screws, the diameter of these holes should be 1-2 millimeters smaller.
• It is easy to screw the boards to the joists if you have a screwdriver or drill with an appropriate attachment on hand. The caps should be recessed, but only slightly.

If the cause of the creaking is poor fixation of the lags, then the latter require additional fastening. To do this, take anchors made from.

The method is known to be effective, but it is also labor-intensive. And it is used if the base of the coating itself is made of concrete. 1 meter is the minimum distance at which anchors should be located from each other.

The use of high-power drills and rotary hammers facilitates the work. Thanks to special equipment holes are drilled through the material, no special effort is applied.

What to do with parquet

Parquet is one of the types of wooden floors.

Over time, an unpleasant squeak may also appear inside this material.

Repairs must be carried out point by point, since the coating itself consists of separate parts.

Work begins with determining the place where unpleasant sounds appear.

Deformed areas are marked so as not to get confused about their location later. Only after this do they move on to the next operations, for which you will need a large-volume syringe without a needle, cement with:

• A hole is drilled in the middle of the creaking plank, very carefully.
• Creation cement mortar with the same consistency as milk.
• Place the mixture inside the syringe. Afterwards, check the force and extrusion process.
• Diluting with water will help to cope with the thick mixture. A small amount of cement is usually added to the liquid one.
• The next step is to immerse the syringe in the hole with preliminary preparation. Then they proceed to pouring the solution itself, in small doses. The air is not able to escape if you do not take breaks while performing actions.
• The hole must be filled entirely; until this point, filling continues. Those who are interested in how to prevent floors from squeaking using foam can act in approximately the same way.

All you have to do is wait until the material dries completely. And then you need to make sure that the creaking has disappeared. The surface is sealed with mastic or a special putty for wooden bases.

This is necessary so that no trace remains of the work done that may be noticeable. to prying eyes. Final stage– polishing.

Polyurethane glue can be an excellent alternative to cement mortar when performing this type.

Polyurethane foam is sometimes also used to fill the space under damaged planks and strengthen the structure. But this is usually only a temporary measure.

It is not recommended to immediately work on all areas that produce squeaking. You can begin working on the following elements only after the effectiveness of the method on the previous ones has been verified. Sometimes it becomes necessary to completely re-lay the parquet if the squeaking does not go away.

Watch the video on what to do if the floor creaks:

When carrying out construction or renovation, many people have a question about what type of floor to use. There are many options, but still many choose the classic - wood. Wooden floors have been used for a very long time. They are an indicator of status and at the same time environmentally friendly. But you need to understand that such a coating has its own service life. Due to the properties of the material, this floor may creak over time. This annoying sound sometimes bothers the owners. What can be done to prevent floors from squeaking? There are several options to solve this problem. And today we will look at how to prevent the floor from creaking.

Types of coatings

Of course, only a certain category of floor coverings produce squeaks. These include:

Causes of squeaking

There are also several reasons why floors creak (we’ll look at what needs to be done a little later). First of all, it is worth noting the violation of the rules for preparing the coating. What is meant by this characteristic? Wood - environmentally friendly pure material, which can be dried. It doesn’t matter whether it’s parquet or chipboard - all of the above types of coatings absorb and release moisture. If the material releases moisture, gaps appear between the boards or sheets. Also, elements may become deformed. Because of this, the board comes into contact with the next one and makes an annoying sound when walking around the room.

The next reason is the incorrect technology for laying lags. A certain amount must be observed. If it is too large, a higher load will be placed on the floorboards. As a result, the floor sags and makes a characteristic sound. Floor creaking can also occur due to the use of too thin boards. What should the thickness be? Minimum thickness for boards is four centimeters. If you use thinner ones, they will sag under load. Alternatively, you can reduce the distance between the joists. But it is better to adhere to the requirements and not use thin boards. Parquet may squeak due to the lack of a layer of varnish. Over time, the layer may wear away. Ultimately, this leads to the destruction of the adhesive layer. The strength of the material will decrease.

One popular cause of squeaking is choosing the wrong clearance. It is called compensatory. It is designed to eliminate friction of adjacent boards in case of increased humidity in the room. It is worth noting that such a gap must be made not only along the wall, but also between adjacent boards. If this is not provided, the floor will creak when walking. In addition, friction causes the material to warp. A little less often, the floor creaks due to poor fixation of fasteners. These include self-tapping screws, various screws and nails. Since wood tends to dry out, the fastening elements can no longer securely hold the boards.

Another reason is too high humidity in the room. Sometimes the moisture concentration is so high that even expansion gaps cannot help. Wood at any age tends to absorb moisture and swell. Due to expansion, the elements rub against each other.

Ways to solve the problem

There are several options to solve the problem. This:

• Knocking out wedges.
• Using foam.
• Floor screed.
• Use of metal anchors.
• Reinforcement with plywood.
• Pulling screws.

Foam Application

This is an effective and simple way. Without disassembling the boards, you can eliminate the sound. For this purpose it is taken polyurethane foam and poured into expansion gaps. Since the foam expands as it dries, the boards will be more rigid and durable. This method is relevant if, during installation, the proper distance between the lags was not maintained.

If it is parquet, you can overcome the sound as follows. For this purpose, a plaster or cement composition. Next, using a drill with a 0.8 mm drill bit, a hole is made.

The solution is taken into the syringe and poured into this hole. Then the hole is hidden with wood putty. It's quite simple and effective method.

Using wedges

Here we cannot do without partial analysis of the coverage. For this we need a hammer, wedges and a hammer. The work is performed in several steps:

There may be several of these wedges. They get clogged until when walking the sound will disappear. But you need to know certain requirements. So, the interval between the wedges should be 20 centimeters. In this case, the wedges should not protrude above the base of the floor.

Metal anchors

To prevent the floor from creaking, you can also use metal anchors. But this method is only suitable if the base of the floor is concrete slab. The anchors are fastened manually. The work is done sequentially:

• A through hole is made on the board and on the joists using a drill.
• The metal shell is installed.
• The metal anchor pin is screwed in.
• Then the next anchor is installed. In this case, the interval should be at least 100 centimeters.
• The result is a strong floor that will not sag or creak.

Experts say that using metal anchors is a truly effective method of combating squeaking. But it is worth noting that the price of such tools is very high, since several dozen of them will be required.

Laying plywood

What needs to be done to prevent the floor from squeaking? Another option to solve the problem is flooring plywood sheet. But there are limitations. The base of the floor must be level. And the thickness of the plywood sheet is at least twelve millimeters. To work you will need the following:

• Screwdriver.
• Self-tapping screws.

The sheets must be laid on top of the boards and secured with self-tapping screws. The interval between the latter should be about 20 centimeters. There is creaking plywood on the floor, what else can be done? Next, let's look at another option for eliminating sound.

Upholstery with self-tapping screws

If the coating creaks, what should you do without dismantling the floor? You can tighten the surface using self-tapping screws. However, this method is only relevant if the sound appears when the joists and floor boards rub against each other. The set of tools and materials is minimal. This is a screwdriver and screws. The most difficult thing is to find the creaking joist. After this, you need to screw several screws into the beam through the board. But you don't need to tighten it too much. The hat should be slightly recessed into the board. If you overtighten, the material may crack (this is especially true for parquet and classic boards).

Wedging boards

What can I do to prevent floors from squeaking? You can wedge the boards from below. This method prevents movement of floor elements when walking. To do this, a wedge is carefully driven between the beams using a hammer. Please note that there is no need to lift the boards. They should not be higher than the rest of the floor. You can wedge the boards from above. To do this, wedges are driven into the cracks between the boards. In this case, a puncher and a hammer are used. The interval between the wedges is 15 centimeters. The number of wedges may vary. Complete the installation when the squeak is eliminated.

Fastening the boards from above

To do this, we need to make several holes in places where the boards creak. Next, these elements need to be secured with screws. Please note that the holes are drilled at a certain angle to each other. Thanks to this, we will make a more rigid fastening of the boards to the beam. But after finishing the work, it is better to hide the screw heads. A special wood putty is suitable for this. After this, the surface will not be completely smooth, and in order to smooth it, you need to sand the surface sandpaper.

Strengthening the beams

If the above methods do not help, you can use more radical way. Experts note that the most reliable option reinforcement is the installation of spacers. After this, you can safely forget about the creaking on for a long time. This operation is performed in several steps:

• In the central part of the span, a line is drawn across the beams. It can be done with regular white chalk.
• The bars are cut. Their dimensions should be such that they fit into the gap between the beams. The thickness should correspond to the beams, and the height should be 25 millimeters less. This gap is provided so that in the future any communications can be laid (pipes, wiring, etc.).
• Start installing the bars. They need to be laid across the room. In this case, the bars are installed on both sides of the marked line alternately. Each element is secured with two nails at the end. And those bars that rest against the wall are attached only on one side.

Removing squeaks from old floors

If floor boards that were laid a long time ago are creaking, you will have to try hard. The fact is that cracks often form on old wood, and some boards even rot. If the old floor is creaking, how to fix it? Experts advise resorting to replacing tongue and groove boards. But before you remove elements affected by fungus and mold, you need to remove the comb on one of them. You can use electric jigsaw to make work easier. However, the file must be strong and thick. Also pay attention to whether there is wiring under the floor. If there is one, the house or apartment is de-energized, otherwise there is a risk short circuit. If you feel resistance while working with a jigsaw, you need to stop. Otherwise, the expensive instrument will become unusable.

We lift the first board. Press the chisel away from you. If the board is difficult to move, you can step on the chisel with your foot. As soon as it rises, move the chisel to another beam. It is advisable to remove all rotten boards, right down to the center.

Before installing new boards, you should first check the dimensions. Next, a piece of the future floorboard is cut out with a jigsaw and installed in place of the old one. When installing, you need to align the groove with the tongue. To securely fix the floorboards, experts recommend using screws or nails. In the latter case, the board is nailed so that the caps do not look out, but are flush. In order not to damage the new floor covering, you can use part of the unnecessary tongue and groove floorboard. We make blows with a hammer through it.

How is fixation done with self-tapping screws? You should be careful here, as there is a risk of cracks. You need to screw in the screws until the head is flush with the board. If you go further, you can damage the board.

Strengthening the floorboards

How to prevent the floor from creaking? To do this, you need to determine at what distance from the concrete base the boards are located. To find out, you can use a drill with a thin and long drill bit. We drill a small hole in an inconspicuous area and then stick a wire there. Next, we note at what distance it stopped, and thus determine the depth. This value must correspond to the length of the screws. The technique is very simple. You need to screw screws into the creaking floorboards. Please note that screws should be screwed into the joists. The latter can be identified by the nails in the floor, which run in rows along the floorboards. If the nail heads are not visible, you will have to remove the baseboard.

Before screwing in the screw, you need to drill a small hole. Its diameter should be slightly smaller than that of the self-tapping screw. This is necessary to ensure that the material does not crack. Next, tighten the self-tapping screw until the cap is flush with the floor. The operation is repeated with each board, screwing it to the joists.

Preventing deflection

There is another way to prevent the floor from creaking. To do this, you need to select self-tapping screws of such length that their tips rest against concrete base. In this case, the sharp ends of the screws should be blunted. Otherwise they will destroy the concrete. Also, the same hole is first made in the boards as in the previous case (slightly thinner than the screw itself).

The essence of the technology is quite simple. The screws that are screwed in will serve as additional support. The boards will no longer sag or creak, since they rest against the concrete floor using self-tapping screws. The squeak is eliminated in 90 percent of cases. This method is also used if the joist is cracked and the deflection needs to be eliminated without dismantling the floor covering.

Let's sum it up

Now we know how to prevent the floor from creaking. There are several methods, and they are relevant in different cases. You need to start from the cause of the creaking - old boards, deflection or cracked joist. In most cases, the problem can be overcome without dismantling the coating. But if this does not help, you need to be patient and start opening the floor to drive in wedges or other operations.

Ecology of consumption. Estate: Perhaps you cannot find a stronger irritant than a creaking wooden floor. It is especially annoying if such a phenomenon occurs to residents soon after overhaul and you have to tear off the finishing coating. Today we will tell you what to do if your wooden floors squeak and how to avoid this in the future.

Perhaps there is no stronger irritant than a creaking wooden floor. It’s especially annoying if this phenomenon occurs to residents soon after major repairs and the finishing coating has to be torn off. Today we will tell you what to do if your wooden floors squeak and how to avoid this in the future.

Causes of squeaking

Actually, there is only one final cause of a creaking floor - friction between two poorly secured parts. And here typical places In which such a phenomenon can be observed, a wooden floor has three.

In the simplest case, the floor creaks due to friction between adjacent floorboards: one of them bends under load and scrapes against the adjacent one. Such a creak has a characteristic dry sound and is quite easily detected when successively pushing through the floor boards.

A more characteristic creaking with a thin squeak occurs due to loose fastening of the boards to the joists with nails. Rusty metal inside dry wood it creates a really nasty grinding noise and it is much more difficult to determine the location of the occurrence due to the fact that the nail heads are usually hidden under several layers of paint.

Third and most rare view creaking - loose connections of composite joists and jumpers between them. The appearance of such a creak is typical for frame and multi-storey buildings with complex system wooden floors. The sound of the floor when walking in such cases is muffled and crackling.

Should the floor be torn down?

If the wooden floor was laid with tongue-and-groove boards for painting or covered with varnish, then there is no need to tear off the boards. It is quite possible to eliminate the creaking between the floorboards and from the surface, plus there is a reason to restore the wooden floor, smooth out unevenness with putty, and renew the paintwork.

In some cases, repairs may require tearing out the finished surface or the boardwalk underneath. For example, if the subfloor boards creak, on top of which the finishing floor is laid - la minat or linoleum. In such cases, the finished floor is sorted out, performing the required manipulations and getting rid of squeaks, and then laid back.

If the source of the squeak is the log system, then you will have to carry out more extensive renovation work. The greatest difficulty lies in localizing the creaking joint, which is almost impossible to do blindly. Therefore, the breakdown of the floor planks cannot be avoided.

Wedging method

The creaking ends of the floorboards can be wedged together, thereby concentrating friction in several places and avoiding the string effect. For this, ordinary wooden chips or wedges with a thickness of 0.5 to 3 mm and a width of up to 30–35 mm are used.

This method is good for eliminating squeaks in old floors made of good-quality boards, where cracks of uneven thickness have appeared as a result of shrinkage and warping. At the widest point of the creaking joint, the first wedge is driven in, then several more are added at an indentation of 50–80 cm. To make it easier for the wedge to fit in, you can widen the joint with a chisel, hammering it in by 3–5 mm.

Wedging is a rather meticulous process, but it is almost the only method of local repair of a creaking floor without tearing the flooring. After compacting the boards, it is necessary to seal the cracks with putty; in the simplest case, a mixture of PVA and fine sawdust will do.

Reinforcement of the floor

The reason for the appearance of squeaking at the ends and fasteners of the boards may be that the flooring is not pressed tightly enough to the joists. This is a typical disease of a wooden floor: after several drying cycles, the nails can become loose and the entire flooring becomes loose.

The essence of strengthening the floor is to restore the tightness of the boards with self-tapping screws, which do not lose the quality of the pressure over time. The catch is that by pressing a warped board in one place, you can loosen the fastening at other points, so it would be correct to reinforce the entire floor at once.

Another subtlety is the need to drill the boards before screwing in the screws to avoid the threads getting caught in them. The method is ideal for eliminating creaking in rough floor. Finish coatings can also be strengthened with self-tapping screws, but traces from the caps will have to be masked with putty, which, moreover, must be matched to the tone of the wood when opening the floors with varnish.

The greatest difficulty is to determine the location of the joists if the traces of the flooring are hidden. Among all the methods, two of the most effective ones can be identified: drilling with control of the drill exit in order to determine the installation step of the joists and tearing off the outer boards.

Overhauling the boardwalk

A major overhaul of a wooden floor is the only way to eliminate squeaks with a guarantee, without requiring significant financial investments. And with creaking logs, there is practically no alternative to this method.

The idea is to sequentially tear down and reattach the boards without changing their order for a tighter fit. First, 3–5 boards are removed from one edge, then, with good additional light, they visually assess the space under the floor, the safety of the joists, and the presence of harmful organic matter.

When sorting through, they fix the first board and tear it down one by one after checking and fixing each subsequent one. All boards are checked for rotting and damage by pests; unsuitable ones are replaced with new ones of the same thickness, adjusting the ends with a plane for tight joining.

To avoid creaking between the floorboards in the future, you can hold the boards together on wooden dowels and tighten them tightly car jack. If there is no need for hidden fastening, it is recommended to use self-tapping screws - two for each attachment point to the joists.

Surface reinforcement

Not very budget, but very effective way To get rid of the subfloor from squeaking - lay plywood on it with frequent attractive fastening with self-tapping screws. The thickness of the flooring must be at least 12 mm, fastening is carried out in each board in two rows in a checkerboard pattern no further than 30–35 mm from the edge.

In addition to self-tapping screws, a mixture of sawdust or mineral chips with bustylate glue will help to achieve high-quality adhesion. It is important to arrange the sheets of flooring in such a way that the joints between them do not contribute to the deflection of the boards in the future. Ideally, you should divide the additional flooring into two layers of 6–8 mm each, fastening them together with an adhesive mixture and carefully consider the pattern of bandaging the joints.

The method is characterized by high technological complexity. In addition to high-quality tightening of screws and correct location sheets, you need to remember the layout of the boards so that each of them is reinforced and tightened. To do this, mark the location of the joints on the walls with marks along which they stretch the thread or beat off the lines with a dye cord.

Other options

There are also many “folk” ways to get rid of squeaks between floorboards or in places where they are attached. Contrary to popular belief, sealing cracks between boards with an adhesive mixture does not produce an effect, at least not long-term.

It’s better to properly heat the joint construction hairdryer and pour melted paraffin or stearin into it. The method of impregnating boards with Vaseline or vegetable oil. Just don’t use machine and motor oils, they are not environmentally friendly.

As a preventative measure to prevent squeaking, it is recommended to tightly join the floor boards using tongue-and-groove ends or oak dowels. You can also treat the ends of the boards with compounds that reduce friction - silicone sealant or rubber paste. Instead of regular nails, it is better to use rough nails, which are less susceptible to loosening. published