Short answer
Have someone walk over the squeak while you watch from the basement or crawl space. If you see a gap between the joist and the subfloor, tap in a wood shim with a little glue until it is just snug. No access from below? Drive a squeak-repair screw from above into the joist: there are kits for carpet and for hardwood. A bouncy or sagging floor needs a pro.
How to fix a squeaky floor
1The floor squeaks in one spot
Most squeaks come from a small gap between the subfloor and a joist. When you step there, wood rubs on wood or on a loose nail.
Read all the steps
- The floor squeaks in one spot. Most squeaks come from a small gap between the subfloor and a joist. When you step there, wood rubs on wood or on a loose nail.
- Find the gap from below. From the basement or crawl space, watch with a flashlight while someone walks over the spot. Look for a gap or a board that moves over the joist.
- Tap in a shim with glue, gently. Spread wood glue on a thin wood shim and tap it into the gap until it is snug. Stop there: forcing it lifts the floor.
- No basement? Screw from above. Find the joist and drive a squeak-repair screw through the floor into it. Carpet kits snap the screw head off under the carpet; hardwood kits leave a tiny hole to fill.
- Walk it again: quiet. Walk over the spot a few times. If it still squeaks a little, add a second shim or screw a few inches away.
- Still not fixed? Call a handyman Especially if: the floor sags, bounces or feels soft, not just noisy.
Handyman near you
Share your location and we will show the nearest ones with their phone number.
Or pick your city:
Squeaks between boards
If the noise comes from boards rubbing each other, not from below, work a little talcum powder or powdered graphite into the seams with a soft brush. It is a quick fix for hardwood that squeaks in dry winter air.
What not to do
- Do not hammer a shim in hard. Too tight, it pushes the floor up and opens new gaps.
- Do not drive screws from below that are longer than the subfloor and the flooring together, or they poke through the top.
- Do not screw down from above without knowing what is under the floor. Pipes, wires and heating lines run between joists.
Why floors squeak
Wood dries and shrinks over the years. Nails loosen, joists twist a little and gaps open under the subfloor. Squeaks are often worse in winter, when the air is dry, and quieter in humid summer weather.
When to call a handyman
- The floor sags, bounces or feels soft, not just noisy.
- A joist is cracked, split or wet, or you see rot or termite damage.
- Squeaks are everywhere, not in one or two spots.
- A tile floor cracks or loses grout where it squeaks.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop a squeaky floor under carpet?
Use a squeak-repair kit made for carpet. You find the joist, drive the special screw through the carpet into it, and snap the head off below the carpet. The carpet stays down.
Can I fix a squeaky hardwood floor from above?
Yes. Drill a small pilot hole, drive a trim-head screw at a slight angle into the joist, and fill the hole with matching wood filler. Hardwood squeak kits make it cleaner.
Are squeaky floors a structural problem?
Usually not. Most squeaks are small gaps or loose nails. It is a concern when the floor also sags, bounces or feels soft, or you see cracked or wet joists.
Why do my floors squeak more in winter?
Dry winter air shrinks the wood, so boards and nails loosen and rub. When the humidity comes back in summer, many squeaks quiet down on their own.
How do I find a floor joist from above?
Use a stud finder on the floor, or look for nail lines in the subfloor near the wall. Joists usually sit every 16 inches. Knock on the floor: it sounds solid over a joist.