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Flooring and tiles

How do you eliminate floor noises?

Anonymous user 23/06/2026 - 4:39 PM

How does one eliminate various floor noises like squeaks, creaking and groans? Also stairs. My floors have mostly screws not nails.

Are you a pro and able to answer this question?

2 Answers

Total Reno & Design

Rating: 5 out of 5
North York
It is most likely the joists under your flooring that is squeaking. If it is an older home, it is really difficult to stop squeaking as the wood is constantly breathing and it will always squeak. If you do not have access to the joists or subfloor, there is no way to stop the squeaking currently.
Answered23 June 2026
0

Victorious Carpet Installation & Repair Services

Rating: 5 out of 5
Mississauga
I am not a structural expert, but from a flooring perspective, floor noises usually come from movement somewhere in the floor system. That movement can be between the finished flooring, subfloor, fasteners, joists, blocking, or sometimes the stairs themselves. A good starting point is to first identify whether the noise is coming from the finished floor surface, such as hardwood or other hard surface flooring, the subfloor, or the framing below. Screws are better than nails in many cases, but if there is still movement between the layers, squeaks and creaks can still happen. If there is access from below, such as an unfinished basement ceiling, the area can sometimes be improved by securing the subfloor to the joists, adding blocking, shims, construction adhesive, or correcting loose areas. If there is no access from below, repair options are more limited and may require working from the top, which can involve removing flooring or using specialty squeak repair screws depending on the floor type. For stairs, noises often come from movement between the tread, riser, stringer, or wedges. In many cases, proper access from the underside of the staircase makes the repair much more effective. Structural improvement is usually the safets method to reduce or eliminate squeaks. Older homes can be more challenging because wood expands, contracts, dries, and moves seasonally. Sometimes the noise can be reduced significantly, but not always eliminated 100%. The best first step would be to have someone inspect the specific noisy areas, check access from below, and determine whether it is a flooring issue, subfloor issue, stair assembly issue, or framing-related movement. There are companies in the GTA that specialize in these type of repairs. It may be best to consult with a firm that focuses specifically on squeaky floor repairs, as they can guide you further based on your exact conditions.
Answered23 June 2026
0