How to fix squeaky subfloor on the second storey?

[reyre8]

Hi Community 🙂

I'm planning to fix the second storey subfloor in my house as it squeaks and make noises when walking on it 😰

To share some context, the house is from the 1970s. The second storey has carpet, but I can remove it, which pretty much gives me access to the subfloor (chipboard).

I have seen a couple of videos and talk to some builders as well in order to fix this issue. The consent goes pretty much around the following steps:

• Remove carpet.
• Find the places where the subfloor squeaks and put screws following the nails line. If possible use a stud finder before drilling in order to know if there is a stud underneath.
• If possible get some PVA wood glue, dilute it a bit, and put some over the chipboard joints.

I'm pretty much trying to collect (if you have done a similar fix) what have been your experiences (i.e. the fix actually worked, after some time the subfloor started squeaking again, and so forth).

Thanks

[Akanksha]

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @reyre8. We're thrilled to have you join us and trust you'll get lots of useful advice and inspiring ideas for your D.I.Y. projects from our wonderful community members. Please feel free to ask questions and share your projects along the way. 

Thanks for your question. Our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to help once he's back on the site today. Let me also tag @diy_hausdesigns, @RenoRach1, @Dave-1 and @Tyro in the meantime.

While waiting, you might also want to check this step-by-step guide by our other resident D.I.Y. expert @MitchellMc for related advice: How to fix a squeaky floor.

Hope this helps.

Akanksha

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @reyre8 

I have a question frist up You mention " second storey subfloor" do you mean the floor of your second story? Going back through your question I havnt heard of chipboard squeaking so maybe my talcum powder answer wont be viable lol

Id also like to say Welcome to the Bunnings community Its a pretty interesting place to hang out and I am sure you will have a bunch of ideas within a very short period.

I have a squeaky section in my hallway floorboards, No carpets and it mostly dosnt squeak, just when the weather is a certain way the houise moves. I have access to underneath the floor luckily and can see the area it is in. I intend to use talcum powder down the cracks as I think I did that years ago in a previous house tho cant swear it I always forget about it until late at night when walking down the hall way and get that tiny sqeak!

Dave

[reyre8]

Hi Dave 🙂

You are right on the money, it's effectively the floor of my second storey, which happens to have carpet on top of it.

Probably the word squeaking was not the best for what I'm experiencing 😰 I'll try to explain a bit better: when I walk on the second storey of the house you can hear in certain areas the floor creaking. After some time of walking on it, it stops making noises. It's almost as if during night the chipboard probably contracts or expands and in the morning when you walk on it, it creaks. If you keep walking on it the noise goes away. In this video the person explain the noise that I experience.

Thanks 👍

[reyre8]

Hi @Akanksha 

Thank you very much 🙂 I'll check the video 👍

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @reyre8 

Was trying to watch the video link and it just loops back to the Bunnings page. Or if I right click it takes me to google search for sounds

Now I have the urge to go home and walk up and down the corridor!

Dave

[EricL]

Hello @reyre8 

Thanks for sharing your question about fixing your squeaky/creaky subfloor. I believe you should transfer your focus on to the entire length of the joist you are walking on. Odds are it is expanding/contracting due to the change in temperature. 

Should you be able to isolate the area where the creaking sounds loudest, I suggest applying the solutions offered in this guide - How to fix a squeaky floor. by @MitchellMc. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[RenoRach1]

Hi @reyre8 

I'm in a Queenslander (a gracious lady of 113 years) and I've a had a couple of instances when her hoop pine floorboards have creaked. I can attest to @Dave-1 's solution of talcum powder - it really does work and it makes the house smell quite lovely.

I've also had a similar problem with Danish oak benchtops and find that fillers did help. I'd also be prepared to give Aquadhere a try - it's excellent for using with timber for all sorts of issues.

Squeaks and creaks can be annoying, I totally agree, but it's something I (largely) resign myself to, being in a timber home that is built on stilts! Here's hoping you find an outcome that makes you happy.

[reyre8]

Hi @RenoRach1 🙂

Thank you very much for your advise. Its definitely true what you said: in a timber home its definitely expected to get this noises from time to time.

I probably need to accept that heheh and understand that these issues will happen from time to time.

Thanks

[reyre8]

Hi @EricL 

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll follow your advice and see how it goes.