How To Fix A Creaking Wooden Floor? [Know All As A Precaution]

Wooden flooring looks aesthetic, doesn’t it? You must agree with me that yes, it does. Besides its elegance, you are worried about the wooden floor creaking, aren’t you? 

Your such a concern is logical as it often happens with wooden floors. But, knowing about why wooden floors creak and how to keep your floor safe from creaking can give you absolute relief from such tension. 

As a self-declared expert and professional with over 10 years in wooden floor maintenance, the following practically proven guidelines would surely change your thoughts on wooden floor maintenance and protect your floors from creaking.

You can’t keep your patience anymore, right? You have been looking for the right solution to keep your wooden floor free from creaking for a long time, and finally, you have got it, haven’t you?

Let’s know step by step: 

4 Easy DIY Steps To Fix A Creaking Wooden Floor: The Simplest Way

I know it is so disappointing to hear the creaking sound of wooden floors. Many of my friends who stop using wooden floors only because of the creaking issue. However, you don’t need to be worried about it.

Here I am going to present you with the 4 easy DIY steps to fix a creaking wooden floor:

Step-1: Equipment You Require To Fix A Creaking Wooden Floor

Many of you think that it is very difficult or maybe impossible to fix a creaking wooden floor DIY. Not at all. You can quickly fix any type of creaking wooden floor easily without the help of any professionals. Believe me, it is so simple and doesn’t require too much time.

However, to fix a creaking wooden floor, you will require:

• A Simple Fix.
• A Caulk Gun.
• A Drill.

Step-2: Locate The Creak

The first step is to find out the area on your wooden floor where the creaking begins. It generally starts from the uneven subfloor. Thus, inspect the subfloor as well as the whole area of the wooden floor to pinpoint the source of the creaking.

Step-3: Know The Area Properly:

When you find a subfloor that is not flat or level, this is the area from where you can start your fixing process. There you may see some friction between the two different planks, and eventually, the tongue and groove will give out. You will see it on the top surface, which is what I am trying to avoid.

Step-4: Do The Fix:

A static charge emanates from the caulk gun as the caulk comes out. You have to mix it. That goes through the static mixer. Don’t forget to take the cap that comes off the tube with the compound. Then drilled a hole at a 45-degree angle. Get the needle in at a 45-degree angle and fill the void. 

There is another way to do that. In this method, you need to pull one of the wooden boards up. Next, put your drill to create a hole through this. After that, get this board out. It will allow you to squeeze the glue down in between the boards. 

However, use the simple fix you purchased into the wooden floor hole. Squirt some of this stuff into it and turn it into a solid wooden material. Hopefully, the creaking problems with your wooden floors will be solved with that.

Reasons For Creaking Different Wooden Floors: Take Action Now

Before explaining why wooden floors creak reason, below, I am presenting you with a comparison table of different types of wooden floors so that you can know what kind of wooden floor you have and what steps you should take as deterrents:

Types Of Wooden Floor	Description	Creaking Reasons
Laminate Wooden Floor	The laminate floor is a shrunk fibreboard plank that is covered with wooden photographic images, and these are protected by a defensive layer.	Uneven Subfloor, Dodgy Setting, Excessive Moisture
Engineered Wooden Floor	It is common to have three or four layers of the wood board in each engineered wooden floor, and they are glued together for making a plank about 14mm thick, besides having a natural wooden veneer about 4mm thick on top of the surface.	Unequal Subfloor, Excessive Moisture
Solid Wooden Floor	This type of wooden floor is made from a solid piece of wood, which is typically 18-20mm dense.	Unsmooth Subfloor, Excessive Moisture

Since you have got a comprehensive idea about wooden flooring types, It will help you take proper care of your wood flooring. 

From the above chart, I am presenting below some of the common facts mainly responsible for wooden floors creaking. Based on floor types, let’s take a detailed look at the common reasons for the creaking of wood flooring: 

1. Laminate Wooden Floors Creaking:

Here are the reasons for creaking laminate wooden floors:

Uneven Subfloor: 

An uneven wooden floor surface is the main culprit of creaking your laminated wooden floor. Suppose the wooden plank is installed on top of an uneven older installation or unequal surface. In that case, there is a high risk of creaking the laminated wooden floor.

You should lift your laminated wooden floor to fix any squeaking on the subfloor to avoid unpleasant creaking or swelling. Since lifting the subfloor carries the risk of crumbling apart when you try to lift the locking technique, it is wise to take help from a flooring expert.

Dodgy Setting: 

Swelling is common on almost every floor. But it is practically proven that less swelling is experienced on laminate floors than on engineered or hardwood floorings. Since the issue, swelling, exists on flooring, leaving at least a 10-millimeter expansion gap, especially for solid wood and hard laminate floors, is the general guideline by the manufacturers. 

Without gapping, a wooden floor will swell over time if it faces a hindrance to expanding. This creates pressure from both the edges, making the floor creak. It is also notable that despite keeping standard expansion gaps (as mentioned above), your wooden floor may still creak if the flooring room contains excessive moisture. 

In that case, I would suggest hiring a professional to do the work and having extra boards if something goes wrong. 

Excessive Moisture:

If you have a humid room or laminate floors exposed to leaks or a lot of water, the flooring may creak, buckle and swell. Apply the same solution if your floors creak, and don’t forget to leave room for expansion.

2. Engineered Wooden Floors Creaking:

You will usually experience the same creaking issues as laminate floors for engineered wood floors. However, here are the details about the creaking of engineered wooden floors:

Unequal Subfloor:

The unequal subfloor will have to be lifted and leveled. It is not a big deal to lift your engineered hardwood floors because they usually have a click system. That makes it easier to lift and fix everything.

Excessive Moisture:

You will face problems with your engineered hardwood floors unless you have an expansion gap. As a partial natural wood floor, engineered floors require a little more time to acclimate than laminates but less time than solid wood floors.

Generally, 5 days are sufficient enough for completing the task. The engineered hardwood floor can be lifted and trimmed if there are no expansion gaps.

3. Solid Wooden Floors Creaking:

Below I point out some reasons for creaking solid wooden floors:

Unsmooth Subfloor:

It is common for solid wood floors to creak because of vertical movement. A solid wooden floor is at greater risk of creaking if its subfloor is regularly moved. Poor installation of the underlay could also lead to this problem. Under a solid wood floor with an uneven underlay or the wrong type, you can hear squeaks when you step.

Excessive Moisture:

Solid wood generally creaks because of excessive moisture. It tends to absorb moisture and water that later causes creak. During the installation of wood floors, keep the expansion gap to avoid excessive moisture.

Related Questions About Wooden Floor Creaking:

Are Creaky Wooden Floors A Problem?

To be honest, creaky wooden floors are not structural problems. This is all caused by uneven subfloors, incorrect installation, shifting foundations, and changing weather.

The air produces moisture that the wood absorbs. They expand when the air is too humid and contract when it is dry. As a consequence, they buckle and eventually creak.

Why Are Your Floors Creaking All Of A Sudden?

You may hear crackling sounds from the wood flooring, subfloor, settling improper artistry, foundation movement temperature, and humidity fluctuations. Often, floors appear to make creaking sounds worse than they are.

How Much Does It Cost To Fix Creaky Wooden Floors?

Generally, you have to spend $100-$500 fixing your creaky wooden floors. Basement creaking can be easily fixed at less cost. But second-story floors are more difficult and require a vast amount of money to fix.

How Long Does It Take To Fix Creaky Wooden Floors?

It depends on accessibility. If you have an unfinished basement, you can fix the problem within 30-40 minutes. But a second-story floor is much more complicated to fix and generally requires around 2-3 hours.

Last Few Words:

I hope by reading my article you already have understood the DIY steps of how to fix a creaking wooden floor and the reasons for occurring. However, when you face creaking issues, don’t be panicked. Just follow my DIY steps as soon as possible to avoid further damages to your wooden floor.