How To Stop Wooden Floor From Squeaking

Are squeaky floorboards keeping you awake at night? Here we look at a few fast fixes to put your mind at ease.

Wooden flooring is porous in nature which means that it absorbs moisture. With time this added moisture can cause the flooring to expand by swelling. Then, when the moisture leaves, it causes the flooring to shrink. This in turn can cause gaps between floorboards which pockets of air can travel through, causing a ‘squeak’ when weight is pressed on them. But how do you put a stop to it?

WD-40
WD-40 is the traditional go-to product for squeaky hinges but it works for floorboards too. To get started you must find the offending floorboard that’s making the noise. What you’ll notice is that there is a slight gap between the joining of the offending floor board and one of the floor boards either side. If you think you might have more than one squeaky floorboard then walk around your entire room and mark down with chalk or pencil the floorboards which are causing you problems. Now simply spray your WD-40 into the gap and begin pressing down on the floorboards to allow it to seep into the crack. Then just wipe it down to get rid of any excess fluid and repeat the whole process as necessary as you walk around your room.

Baking Soda & Baby Powder
You shouldn’t have to replace your flooring just because it’s beginning to squeak at you. Solid wood flooring isn’t the cheapest of flooring but it is long lasting and robust provided you care for it properly. If you don’t have any WD-40 to hand then you can also use powdered substances like baking soda, talcum powder and baby powder to fill the crack. Simply follow the instructions above, being sure to wipe away any excess powder afterwards. Be careful not to use a vacuum on it too soon afterwards because you’ll likely undo all your hard work.

More permanent fixes
If you find that simply lubricating the gaps between your floorboards isn’t doing the track then there are some longer lasting repairs that you can undertake that fall short of replacing your flooring. Look for a gap between the joist and the subfloor and insert a wooden shim until it feels nice and tight. You can also try inserting wood screws from below which are fixed through the sub floor and just below the surface of the finished flooring.

For more tips on cleaning and maintaining your floors, please read our free guide on how to maintain and clean your floors and carpets.