And how can we fix them? As a flooring installation company, you wouldn’t believe how many times we’re asked these two questions together. It’s not uncommon for floors to squeak and it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong. Wood floors that only squeak during the winter are likely just because they’ve shrunk a bit in the dry air. If they squeak year round, there is probably another reason.
Uneven Subfloor
Whether you have a concrete slab or a crawl space, an uneven subfloor will increase the likelihood that your floors will squeak. Once the floors are installed, there’s little you can do to correct the uneven subfloor so make sure your flooring installation company checks prior to installing your new floors. The reason this causes squeaking is the gap between the flooring and the subfloor. When someone walks on them, the floorboards to rub together as they move up and down in the area where the flooring doesn’t make contact with the subfloor resulting in the squeak.
Flooring Joists
The other common reason for squeaky floors only occurs in a home where the floors are installed on a crawl space or on the second floor. Floor joists are essentially the support structure of the home. Plywood is laid on top of the joists and then the wood floor is installed on top. When the subfloor isn’t secured to the joists, the subfloor and joist rub together and squeak. This is fixed easily if you can get below the flooring. If the area of the squeak is small, a shim between the joist and the subfloor will prevent movement. If the area runs along the whole joist, there are many methods of securing depending upon the reason for the movement. This may occur from day one of the installation or develop over time.
Sometimes it’s just the floorboards rubbing together. If that’s the reason for the squeak, powered graphite, soapstone, or even talcum powder may be able to silence the squeak by eliminating the rubbing of wood on wood . If the squeak appears again, then just reapply.
A Good Flooring Installation Company Can Prevent Squeaky Floors
One of the best ways to avoid squeaking wood floors is to tell you flooring installation company about the issue before they install your new floors. Another good time to mention it is if you are working with a hardwood floor refinishing company. During the refinishing process, small screws can be inserted into the flooring to better attach it to the subfloor reducing noise. The installation team at Seer Flooring will always do what they can to reduce squeaks before they install your new floors. If you need a wood floor refinishing company, we will do what we can to reduce the noise at that time as well. Let us know how we can best be of service to you regarding your new wood flooring by calling 727-785-1930.