How I Repair Squeaky Floors in Atlanta

How I Repair Squeaky Floors in Atlanta
No matter how durable a floor material is meant to be, I find repeated wear and tear from daily traffic will eventually show and you may find yourself in need of some floor repair work – whether it is squeaky stains on carpets, scratched surfaces, cracks in tiles or floorboards . Sometimes entire sections are damaged and will need to be refinished or replaced. Most suppliers and manufacturers will advise on repair as well but some repairs are actually simpler than you think and can be attempted by yourself before having to call in the professionals. Here are two common problems that can be easily tackled at home:

Squeaky Floors
This is one of the most common problems I come across and although often not serious, can become irritating on a daily basis. In some cases, it is as simple as sprinkling some talcum powder over the noisy area and sweeping it into the cracks between the boards. For more serious squeaks, you will need to get into the space beneath the floor or the basement and ask someone to walk directly above you to help locate the problem. Once you have pinpointed the area then use a piece of chalk to outline the area. Now look at the joists within this area: anywhere there is a gap between the joists and the subfloor, the floorboards can move which means that they will squeak. Fix this by installing shingles or wood shims into the gaps, this will reduce movement.

However, if the squeaks seem to be originating from the area between the joists, then your problem is a gap between the floorboards themselves and the subfloor. Fix this by pulling the two layers together using wood screws: drill holes through the subfloor and into the squeaky area (this prevents wood cracking) and make sure that your wood screws are long enough to penetrate to the floorboards but at the same time, not so long that they will poke out above the floorboards.

If you cannot gain access to the space below your floorboards then you will need to do repairs from above, using spiral flooring nails. Again, I follow the same procedure for localizing the area of squeaking and determining whether it is from the joists or between them. Then, use two spiral flooring nails angled towards each other in a V-shape and drive them through the floorboards down to the subfloor. If the squeaks are from the joists, make sure the nails drive into the joist as well. Again, drill holes first to prevent the wood splitting.

In some cases, you will have carpeting or even tiling above the floorboards while also not having access from below. This means that access above and below the floorboards is both denied and you will need to remove the floor covering first to get to the floorboards. However, before you do this, try pounding the floorboards with a hammer in the squeaky area – this may provide enough pressure to force nails back and reset any loose floor boards without resorting to major excavations!

Restor-It Flooring Inc. is located at 850 Pickens Ind. Suite G Marietta, Ga 30062 . You can contact Robert Rowley by dialing P:678-535-0895 or emailing him at info@flooringatlantaga.com. For more information, go to http://www.FlooringAtlantaGA.com.

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