Hey team, I have a 75-year-old house and lots of the floorboards on the main floor are creaky. I can feel a few of them travel when I walk on them. I’ve seen these kits with snap-off screws that secure the board to the joist and then snap off just below the surface. Do they work? Is there a better solution?
The basement ceiling is unfinished, and I’ve read about shimming the loose boards from below. From the basement I see diagonal boards and then subfloor on top of that, so I’m not sure how I would shim anything. Thanks for any help you can offer!
Are the skinny slats or big boards?
Eitherway, shimming pushes up against the nails that still grip, and that creates a lip that people may trip on or may just look bad.
The normal fix is slightly bigger nails in the same hole.
Snap off screws should hold a lot better and be a more permanent fix, but I have no idea about the brand.
Also keep in mind that after you screw it in, some of the original nails may need driven in so they don’t poke up. You can use a small hole punch to get them below the wood. Which you may want to try just doing that first.
I don’t have experience with fixing boards that travel, but for boards with minor flex, you can dust the joints with corn starch to help lubricate and reduce squeaking. Let it work into the joints then gently sweep up.
Thank you for the reply. By “joints” do you mean the butt joints between the ends of the floorboards? That’s an interesting idea. I’ll give it a shot.
What is the finished floor that you’re considering using the breakaway screws on? They’re probably your best solution but if running them through carpet take care to pull the nap away or the screw will wrap it like a fishing reel and you’ll develop a noticible run before you can stop the drill motor.
Thank you for the reply. It’s bare hardwood. I think I’ll just use some trim head screws in case I need to remove them someday.
Not that one specifically, but I’ve used another brand of screw to hold down the board and then you shear the head off. It worked well enough. And I didn’t even have to tear up the carpet.
Shimming only really works if there’s no subfloor. Unless it’s the subfloor, that’s squeaking I guess?
Thank you for the reply. It’s bare hardwood so no carpet, but it sounds like these screws or something similar are the ticket!
