Are you afraid to walk downstairs in the middle of the night because you fear that you’ll wake everyone up? Aren’t we all? Your throat is screaming for that glass of water. Or maybe you need to get that bowl of ice-cream your wife clearly “advised” you against. The wooden floor fits right in with your perfect décor, but the cold has gotten to it and it has started to scream for its dear life. You gotta help it, it’s dying, and it’s taking any chances you may have at sneaking that midnight bowl of creamy goodness with it.

Finding out the reason before you get on to your fixin’ is as imperative as the latter part of the process. If you don’t know what’s creating the problem, how will you solve it?  Let’s get to the quick fixes first so that it buys you enough time to permanently get rid of the root problem itself.

Talcum Powder

Yep. It solves more than the dilemma of your baby’s post-diaper change smell. Just sprinkle some in the nooks and crannies of your floor and you’re good to go for a while – it buys you time by lubricating the surface for a short period of time.

Maybe It’s the Weather?

Examine the area that squeaks the most; or does it make noise all over? The cold weather outside can cause dry friction between the wedges and cause them to make a sound. Use a humidifier on your furnace so that the environment of your house is balanced out properly.

Now for the Not-so-Quick Solutions

These fixes aren’t quick but are easy enough that you can perform them just by reading a properly detailed manual. Just make sure you have read the safety measures before you attempt anything – wooden splinters can be quite painful (ouch!).

In any case, you will have to check two components that make up your floor: the bridging, and the nails. You may have to examine the subfloor to make sure that the problem is being cause by one of these reasons, as you can deal with them yourself. Once you do:

If It’s the Nails

Missing nails is usually the prevailing issue, and they are quite visible if you check the subfloor. Either that or they are improperly nailed. Get your hammer, and follow the pattern the other nails are hammered in place, or use a diagonal cutter to clip them.

The best way to point out loose nails would be to have someone walk above the surface while you check the subfloor, so that you can pinpoint the areas where the squeak is being problematic – you can even see the gaps that need filling. There are shims you can hammer in order to fix the cracks.

If it’s the Bridging

This may require more of an effort on your part. In adequate support can cause more than just squeaking – you may end up with missing wedges just because you stepped hard enough upon it. Make a trip to the store and get yourself some additional bridging support to fill in the subfloor.

It may be possible that these fixes do not prove to be lifelong solutions. In case you need assistance, you can contact Aaron Lillie in the Barrie area.