Laminate floors aren't attached to the subfloor, so you can't stop them from squeaking by adding more nails. Fixing Subfloor Squeaks It's easier to stop a subfloor from squeaking if you can get. Review of Squeeeeek No More (Squeak No More) Part of soundproofing a ceiling may involve repairing the squeaks in the floor above you. So, I bought the Squeeeeek No More kit. From the manufacturer, 'Stops floor squeaks from the top of the floor by safely going through the carpet!' So here is the situation, my neighbors condo above me has some.
Written by Chris Deziel; Updated December 10, 2018Related Articles
- 1 Replace Existing Flooring
- 2 Fix Squeaky Particle Board Floors
- 3 What Causes a Creaking & Popping Noise in Hardwood Floors?
- 4 Fix Laminate Installed in a Floor That Is Not Level That Is Popping
Squeaks are annoying in any floor, and when the floor covering is hardwood or carpet, you have several options for eliminating them while keeping the flooring intact. You don't have as many options with a laminate floor, however. If it's really the laminate that's squeaking -- and not the subfloor -- the problem is usually something that the installers should have addressed before they laid the flooring.
Reasons for Squeaking
Floor squeaks can originate from the subfloor or the floor covering. When the subfloor is squeaking, it's usually because the installers used nails, and the nails are pulling away from the joists. When a laminate floor covering is squeaking, on the other hand, it could be because the subfloor isn't level, there's no underpadding or the boards have expanded and then shrunk again. Board movement is related to moisture and is another consequence of omitting a moisture-blocking underlayment. Laminate floors aren't attached to the subfloor, so you can't stop them from squeaking by adding more nails.
Fixing Subfloor Squeaks
It's easier to stop a subfloor from squeaking if you can get under the floor and access the joists. From there, you can tap shims between the subfloor and the joists or apply a bead of construction adhesive to stop the movement. You can also use specialty braces that screw to the subfloor and hook around a joist to draw the subfloor down. You can drive screws into the joists from above, but you'll have to remove the floor covering to do it. Driving screws through laminate flooring can chip or crack it, is unsightly and is almost never an option.
Removing the Floor Covering
If the squeaking is caused by irregularities in the subfloor or insufficient padding, you won't be able to stop it without removing the flooring and making the necessary repairs. You can simply unsnap most laminate floors, doing it carefully to preserve the fragile edges so they'll fit back together. The most difficult board to remove is the first one, which is usually situated in a corner. Tapping it backward with a rubber mallet usually works, but you may end up having to cut and replace that board. Once it's out, however, the rest of the disassembly is relatively effortless.
Quick Fixes
One remedy for squeaky hardwood floorboards that may also work on laminate boards is to sprinkle talc onto the floor and work it between the floorboards with a paintbrush to lubricate the joints. You must clean the floor thoroughly after this treatment to prevent accidents because talc is slippery. Another remedy is to change the position of a heavy cabinet that may be creating stress areas, or 'pinch points.' Pinch points also occur around the perimeter of the floor when the baseboard is installed too tightly. You can relieve the pressure by removing and reinstalling them slightly higher.
References (2)
About the Author
Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. Besides having an abiding interest in popular science, Deziel has been active in the building and home design trades since 1975. As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies.
![Squeak No More Squeak No More](http://i.ebayimg.com/images/a/(KGrHqZHJEIE88cr5F,8BPZ2j61+0Q~~/s-l300.jpg)
Choose Citation Style
Deziel, Chris. 'How to Make a Laminate Floor Stop Squeaking.' Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-laminate-floor-stop-squeaking-47640.html. 10 December 2018.
Deziel, Chris. (2018, December 10). How to Make a Laminate Floor Stop Squeaking. Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-laminate-floor-stop-squeaking-47640.html
Deziel, Chris. 'How to Make a Laminate Floor Stop Squeaking' last modified December 10, 2018. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-laminate-floor-stop-squeaking-47640.html
Note: Depending on which text editor you're pasting into, you might have to add the italics to the site name.
Are creaky, squeaky stairs making you think your home has turned into a haunted mansion? If you have been procrastinating on this project for years, you may be surprised to learn that two very simple items may be causing this. Both can be easily cured and do not require the expensive services of stair technicians.
The Reason Why Stairs Creak
Yes, it is true that your stairs are a complex system comprised of many elements—treads, risers, balusters, railing, and more. In the end, the creaks might be coming from any one of those hundreds of pieces.
That being said, don't be intimidated. A large proportion of squeaks are caused by friction: wood rubbing against metal. Specifically, this wood-against-metal sound is coming from one or more nails pushing in and out of the nail hole.
Since stairs get a lot of traffic, it is inevitable—and natural—that nails will begin to loosen from the wood.
Hopeless to Heroic Stair Fixes
- Re-Nailing: Hammering down the same loose nails in their same places is pointless. This fix may work for only a very short period—even as little as a few hours. The reason is that the squeaky nail has already formed a hole in the wood that is too large for the nail. Hammering it down will not help much.
- Doubling Up: Driving the second nail next to the original nail is better, but still qualifies as a temporary fix. By nature, nails are meant to pull straight out. This means that whatever force pulled out the original nail will eventually pull out your second nail. One thing to watch for is whether the new nails will split the stair nosing. This is a definite possibility with old stairs.
- Stair Runners: Sisal, rubber, or carpet stair runners are mainly a sound blocker. You will still hear the squeak, but it will be less pronounced.
- Solid Stair Covers: Wood 'caps' that you cut to size and fit over your stair tread and runner do a fairly good job of eliminating squeaks. For one, like the stair runners, they act as sound-proofing elements. Mainly, though, they act as a bridge, redistributing the walker's weight across the width of the stair tread.
- Screws and Wedges: The ultimate solution—short of rebuilding your stairs—is to secure loose treads to the stringers with screws. This is supplemented by forcing small wedges between treads and stringers from underneath. This method is detailed below.
Above The Stairs Solution
- Find: Identify squeak 'hot spots' by having an assistant slowly walk up and down the stairs as you try to locate the squeaks. If you have access to underneath the stairs, also check out that area. Tag squeaks with a square of painter's tape.
- Remove: If you have a runner on the stairs, remove it. For continuous runners, remove the entire runner. For tread-sized runners, remove only individual runners.
- Pull: Remove any visible loose nails. This will usually not be possible, so consider it a bonus if you can do this.
- Drill: Pre-drill a hole next to the squeaky nail. If you were able to remove the nail, you could use this pre-existing hole.
- Screw: Then send in a screw and secure the tread down.
Under The Stairs Solution
It helps immensely if you can have access to the underside of the stairs. The fix then is much like the fix you would undertake for a squeaky floor. With this method, you can investigate and see if any wedges or blocks were attached to the spaces between the riser and tread.
There may be a chance that the blocks have fallen out or loosened. In this case, you reattach the block with wood glue and finish nails. Alternatively, underneath the stairs, you may find that there are wedges also at this riser-tread joint. In this case, you can tap in new wedges along with a light coating of wood glue on the wedges before you drive them in.
It doesn’t take much force. In fact, if you force the wedges in too far, you risk separating the risers and treads.