So I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or tips for creaking hardwood floors.

The house was built in 193x and we had the original hardwood floors refinished and they look real good. The only problem is the creaking. Is there anything that can be done to help alleviate this problem?

 

Pounding the nail back in doesn't fix it. You need to go under the floor and put a screw at an angle through the floor joist into the board. That will pull the board into the joist and hold it securely.

 

I have seen some products for that purpose in magazines like Popular Mechanics and such.
I can't remember the exact names, but I'll bet a Google search will turn up some answers.

 

Most likely you have tongue and groove subflooring.
Is there access from the basement to get underneath the floors?
Like scole250 posted, angle the screws into the joist to pull down the flooring; or contact a flooring professional and ask them.

I heard of people using talcum powder or some sort of floor oil to stop the squeaking, but I heard that along time ago.

I have the same problems with my floor, especially after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

 

baby powder will help but the real fix is to use some strong decking screws and from the underside tighten down the loose boards.

 

First, Wood will natrually contract in the winter (less humidity) My floors squek a lil bit right now, They'll swell up again in the spring.

Now if it does it all year round, Are you sure its the hardwood? or could it be the subfloor squeeking over the joists? I have a few places where I couldnt get rid of the subfloor squeak before I put down the wood. ...

Screwing it will work, but its not always possible to do. you could also try glueing it

 

Here's one site to check out.

http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/display_article.asp?ID=282

 

Good points in that link above.

I have had some luck with using some of those "screw shaped" pilot drills from under the floor. Make sure they will not go thru the finish floor (shorten and resharpen if required). The large part of the pilot drill is a clearance hole thru the subfloor so when the screw is tightened it pulls the flooring together. Forcing a few squirts of some construction adhesive into the hole with a caulking gun before the screw is installed helps also. As the article says always have someone up above help find the noise and stand on it while you tighten the screws.

 

Here's something that just crossed my mind (that doesn't happen all too often).

If you have the 5/16" thick hardwood flooring, like I do, then the screw through the bottom of the floor may not work if the finished floor is loose.
Not enough meat on the hardwood floor.

I guess then you have to face nail it, since it's usually face nailed anyway.
If the subflooring is loose, then use the screw method.

Maybe one could carefully pop up the suspect floor piece and put a few dabs of construction adhesive and face nail it back on.

Just an idea.

 

Drill a hole and squirt some adhesive in from underneath.

 

an adjustable stantion post will eliminate the problem, find out where the post needs to go"under the floor joist closest to the sqeek" and run it up snug then a little more. this is a common fix, most of the floor sqeeks come from the house settleing.