Hello guys. So how do you quiet loud creaky, poppy sounding wood floors. We love the floors they are really shiny prefinished 3/4" solid oak hardwood floors in our house built in 2001, but it's getting to the point where in biting my teeth at night because the floors are so loud I worry about waking the baby up! Here's the kicker, my basement is fully finished with drywall on ceilings too so shimming from below is not an option. I think the main issue is the subfloor underneath because the adjoining room with carpet makes loud pops and cracks as well. But the hardwood is my main concern as I know I can fix the carpet room when I replace carpet next year. The one small area (furnace room) in basement where I can see the subfloor bottom looks ok and don't see any discoloration from any previous water damage. Any ideas for a possible remedy would be appreciated. Thx
LOUDEST solid wood floors EVER!!
- Thread starter Billbill
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Have you tried dusting in some talcume powder. That may cut down on the squeeks. Should have asked if it is finished on the floor or prefinised where there are cracks in the joints.
That's difficult if its the sub floor to joist connection. Depending on how visible the fasteners are.............. or how well you can hide them with a wood filler or wax stick, cross nailing into the joist with a decent sized galvanized finish nail might work.
This would require accurately locating the joist, then drilling a clean hole in your wood, and driving in the finish nails. Depending on the finish of the wood and the type of wood, this might be possible.
This would require accurately locating the joist, then drilling a clean hole in your wood, and driving in the finish nails. Depending on the finish of the wood and the type of wood, this might be possible.
If you are brave enough. 
Here's what I was talking about. You drill through your pretty floor, a couple of clean holes. (it can be done)
Make the holes ever so slightly, larger than the head of your galvinised finish nail and don't drill into the subfloor.
If you want a pilot hole for the nail, drill into the subfloor with a much smaller drill bit.
Drive the nail close to the surface of the floor, then drive it below the wood flooring using a drift punch.
The cross section is the wood flooring, the underlayment, then the joist.
Fill the holes with your choice of wood filler.
The hardest part would be locating the joist.
The second hardest part is getting the guts to try it.
No warranty expressed of implied. Proceed at your own risk.
Pulling back the carpet might assist you in locating the joist locations under the wood floor.
I'm guessing the joists were wet when the home was under construction and they shrunk up as the home dried out.
Here's what I was talking about. You drill through your pretty floor, a couple of clean holes. (it can be done)
Make the holes ever so slightly, larger than the head of your galvinised finish nail and don't drill into the subfloor.
If you want a pilot hole for the nail, drill into the subfloor with a much smaller drill bit.
Drive the nail close to the surface of the floor, then drive it below the wood flooring using a drift punch.
The cross section is the wood flooring, the underlayment, then the joist.
Fill the holes with your choice of wood filler.
The hardest part would be locating the joist.
The second hardest part is getting the guts to try it.
No warranty expressed of implied. Proceed at your own risk.
Pulling back the carpet might assist you in locating the joist locations under the wood floor.
I'm guessing the joists were wet when the home was under construction and they shrunk up as the home dried out.
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If the above would be to obvious in your finished floor, you will just have to cut some holes in the sheet rock below. Listen downstairs while someone walks on the floor above. Put a piece of blue tape on the ceiling where the noise is the loudest. You can probably locate the noisy spot pretty accurately.
How big of a hole? You need some room to work.
How many holes?
Will there be insulation to deal with?
The fix might involve gluing in some thin shim material at the squeak location, or adding some screws of the appropriate length so that they only go as deep as the underlayment and not up into the bottom of your wood floor.
There aren't a lot of options.
How big of a hole? You need some room to work.
How many holes?
Will there be insulation to deal with?
The fix might involve gluing in some thin shim material at the squeak location, or adding some screws of the appropriate length so that they only go as deep as the underlayment and not up into the bottom of your wood floor.
There aren't a lot of options.
If you are going to put a finish nail in from the top- Woodworkers trick, cut the head off a nail the size you are usinf and used the headless nail for a drill bit. Automatically to size and the head will pull down the board.
