Hello all. I'm trying to tackle a bunch of squeaky spots in the my floor. I purchased one of those kits that have the screws that are scored and you break off after installing them. Tried that and it they don't seem to work. I'm confident I am hitting the joists. The loud squeak seems to be coming from between the joists.

My house is 60 years old or so, but it was renovated about 5 years ago (before we moved in). I'm thinking that during the renovation the put new sub-floor down right over the original sub-floor (you can see a spot they did when you go into the basement) and as a result I've got sub-floor squeaking against another sub-floor.

Is this plausible? If it is, is there anything I can do to fix it?

Thanks!

 

Cut two pieces of 2x8 or whatever the joist size is & insert them between the two joists, at that spot. Push them up as tight as you can & screw it to the joists. The go back upstairs & try those break off screws again. Make sure that you hit the pieces that you inserted.

 

No can do. The squeaks I am trying to fix are on the second floor (the basement note was just a note to say that I know they did it in other places in the house.

 

Is the subflooring exposed on the floor you have the squeak problem with?? Or do you have a finished floor? I understand about the second layer, and yes, you may have a problem there. I just want to know what you have exposed.

 

Unfortunately it's finished. It's just carpet and I believe it is just tack stripped in, but i want to avoid pulling back the carpet if I can.

 

So then you are guessing that it's a second sub floor over the original. How did you know which way the joists are running & how are you sure that you hit them with the screws?

 

well, when you use the tool with the squeeeeek no more kit, it has a joist finder that I found to work quite well at finding the joists. I just have to get through two layers of sub-floor first.

 

I'd like to see that tool. Even my deep scan tool won't go through carpet and two layers of subflooring. About the only sure fire way I have found is to pull the corner of carpet back and actually look at the first and second rows of nails, measuring between them for center, then marking on the baseboard where they are. Replace the carpet and tuck it back in place. From there you can accurately measure the joist spacing/direction.

 

Pretty simple little tool
O Berry Enterprises 3233 Squeek No More Kit - Amazon.com

 

Granted, I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, so help me out. What part of that kit finds the joists? How does it do it?

 

I understand wanting to secure the subfloor to the joists but what's the downside of using the screws to pull the subfloor/underlayment together between the joists?

I too am scratching my head about the joist finder.

 

Downside is that I have too pull back an entire 40' hallway of carpet :-)

The joist finder works pretty well. After I drive in a few inches, you can feel if our in a joist or in space. A couple taps on the top of the drill and it slides right down if you're between joists. And for a third confirmation, when you back the bit out it twists the drill ever so slightly in your hand.

So it sounds like you are all saying the best solution is to just take the carpet up.

 

Pulpo - I did that in my kitchen when we tiled the floor. We had some squeaks and I knew I couldn't have any movement. It worked great. The only thing I did different is that when I put the blocking in place I added some shims between it and the subfloor. Once the blocking was nailed I drove the shims in until the subfloor floor was really tight.

Matt - before I took up all that carpet I would try using the same snap off screws between the joists. Are you saying that they have to hit a joist to work?

 

Tried just that and it didn't seem to work either. I'm thinking there isn't enough grab between the two pieces. I don't know that you have to hit a joist, but I imagine it helps.

 

Try different screws, not snap-off. The head may need to be there.

 

Agreed, but that means I need to pull back the carpet. That's the part I was trying to avoid. Oh well. Looks like I've got some work to do.

 

You can go right through the carpet or use a nail gun with ring shanked nails.

 

Based on my experience with squeaky floors, screws are far better than any kind of nails to solve the problem. Just pull back the carpet and do it.

 

I've used the screws you have and they're ok but they can't pull the layers together like a normal screw with a head can - you either have to be able to stand on the area and push all the layers together with your weight or pull the carpet and use deck screws instead.

 

0.15 second search, have you never played "Battleship", LOL: O'Berry Enterprises, Inc.

Gary

 

You lost me with that post.

 

The blue text in Gary's post is a link to the manufacturer's web page.

 

Didn't think there were any manufacturers of battleships left in the world. Man, I feel so dense!

 

My joke sank, sorry... "Battleship" is a children's board "game" where someone says "Miss" or "Hit" after your turn to search different co-ordinate trying to find his/her game pieces before yours sink. Mostly "Miss" as you get farther in the game.

Gary

 

Chase it with a brad nailer. Get ahead of it and behind, pinch it in the middle. Done!

 

What? I can't follow that at all....

 

Oh, yeah, the old brad nailer trick. Plaster the subfloor/floor sheathing layers full of small nails with tiny heads, and listen to them squeak as the heads pull through the members they're supposed to squeeze tightly.

 

That sucks! .